Hand of Fate
by SilenceInTheTrees
Summary: My version of a sequel to the events of Spirited Away. Chihiro has lost all hope that a certain river spirit will come through on the promise he once made to her... until she receives a letter from a suspiciously familiar fowl. Meanwhile, Haku embarks on a journey to change fate, but at what cost?
1. Chapter 1

_Let me begin by saying that I am so nervous about posting this... I started writing fanfic over a decade ago, and have been writing original works (mostly poetry) for quite a bit longer than that, though most of it has gone entirely unpublished. _

_I hope I'm not stepping on any toes with too many similarities to other stories in the Spirited Away realm. I've only read very few of them, but the original story is very near and dear to my heart. It is the only Studio Ghibli film I've seen in the theatre and to say it was a life altering experience would be an understatement. I've seen it, quite literally, about 100 times since then._

_So, to try to polish up my writing, which has gone neglected for far too long, I wanted to try my hand at my own sequel of sorts. I sincerely hope you enjoy this story. I'm not quite sure where it's going yet, since I just write as it comes to me. However, I already have several chapters completed and see no sign of writer's block, as of yet (knock on wood)._

_Here's to hoping Spirited Away is still somewhat relevant in the FanFiction community! Thanks for taking the time!_

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 1<strong>_

"I don't know what to do anymore. I have no one left... please, if you can hear me, I just need a friend..." 

Like so many events and mishaps before, the death of her parents brought her back to this familiar place. This hill, with its flowing green grass. Those buildings, with their chipping paint and crooked signage. She dragged her feet across the barren paths between the abandoned restaurants and sniffed the air, hoping to catch a whiff of the food she'd once denied there. 

"There's nothing left for me here, in this world. Your world is the only place that's ever been kind to me..." 

A light breeze floated past, catching her long brown hair in its tendrils. She looked up towards the path to where the bath house would be standing, only in a different dimension. Tears filled her eyes, though she wasn't sure she had any left to release. 

"You promised..." 

She came to the end of the path that led to the bridge. She took a deep breath, and held it, hand firmly gripped over her nose and mouth. She took a step forward, as the sunlight began to fade from the sky. Step by careful step, she crossed the long bridge, reliving a time long gone, relinquished to memory. When she reached the other side, she let herself breathe again. 

"I finally got it... the practice paid off. Can you even see?" 

She dropped to her knees, the tears that brimmed her eyes before finally finding their way down her cheeks and into the hands cupped upon her thighs. Quietly, she let them flow, catching the drops in her palms, watching them puddle there. 

"I need this place... I need you." 

A silvery, serpentine being hovered in the sky, high above, unseen by the distraught young woman. The creature floated downward, shifting form before landing just a few feet in front of the slumped human. 

_"Chihiro..."_

It was only the wind, and her imagination, working their cruel pranks. It wasn't the first time she'd imagined such a thing. She stood, feeling defeated and pained. Ten years of this, tormenting herself with delusions of being able to return to a place that she wasn't even sure existed. 

"Were you even real? This whole time, I've held on... maybe it's time I let go of you, too..." 

_"Don't let go..."_

Her face twitched in frustration. Maybe she was crazy, as so many had suggested over the years. Even her own parents, before their fatal car accident a week earlier, had considered calling her a counselor because of the things she claimed to have experienced. Imagining a spirit world in your dreams was one thing, but hearing voices in the wind... 

"You're 20 years old, Chihiro... it's time to get on with your life... and stop talking to nothing... and yourself..." 

_"Don't let go..."_

She clenched her fists and barred her teeth in anger. 

"Stop it! Just stop! If you're there, show yourself, once and for all! I've been through too much to just keep waiting around! I have no friends, my parents just died, I'm going to lose my job, no schools want me! If you don't want me either, just tell me! Do your worst, because I'm old enough and strong enough to face it now!" 

_"Not time..."_

She whirled around on her toes and stomped across the bridge, down the steps. 

"That's enough! I'm done with this. If I spend the rest of my life on a dream that won't come true, I'll have lived no life at all." 

She picked up her pace to a full on run. Her dark skirt billowed behind her, her boots leaving deep imprints as her feet slammed into the dirt. When she reached the stairs that led to the makeshift river, she stopped in her tracks. Turning, she raised a hand to the emptiness around her. 

"Goodbye. You won't be seeing me here again." 

She turned and made her way down, fighting against a burst of wind flowing in the opposite direction. She pulled the hair out of her face, and twisted it up with a shimmering purple hair band, noticing the permanent indent on her wrist from too much wear. 

_"Please... Chihiro..."_

Her back tensed as she felt a faint grip on her shoulder. She shook her head violently and bolted out of towards the tunnel that led out of the ruins, as fast as her weary legs would take her. When she reached the opening, she fell against it, resting her head upon the cool plaster frame. 

"My imagination... it's not real. He wouldn't do this to me... It can't be real." 

A figure peered out from the top of the staircase, watching the uneasy girl in the distance attempt to steady herself. It pained him so, to see her this way, the same way he saw her every time she had come before. Only this time she had been even more upset than usual. He thought he had heard her say she lost her parents... could that be true? The girl's only connection left to her own world, severed prematurely? 

_"It is time, after all..."_

But the girl could no longer hear. She started to her car, but she couldn't pry her eyes from the hill beyond the river's boarder. Was that a shadow she saw? She blinked, but it was gone. She sauntered through the tunnel forelornly. When she got to her car, she opened to door and flopped down in the driver's sear. Flipping down her overhead mirror, she gave herself a once-over in the tiny reflective surface. 

"You're crazy. It took you ten years to figure it out, but you really have lost it, Chihiro..." 

It would be a long drive back, to a cold and lonely apartment, her only company being a TV she never bothered to turn on, a phone that never rang, and books that fell to shambles in her hands from years of dog-eared pages and bathwater stains. As she put her car in reverse and made to leave, she stole one last glance towards the ruins. The place she had been so many times these past ten years, both in reality and her dreams... the only place she really wanted to be... and now, the place she would never see again... 

"You were too late..."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

"There is _no way_ to open the door, my boy, it simply opens! There is no rhyme or reason to it!" Zeniba threw her hands in the air, exasperated at having to explain this for the hundredth time today.

"There has to be a way! She needs me, Zeniba! She needs this world! If I can't find a way to bring her back, she'll lose her mind!" Haku paced the small living room, his dark brow furrowed with determination.

"I adore the poor girl just as much as you do, Haku, but why is this so important to you? Surely, Chihiro is a strong woman, she will get through this as she has every other tribulation she has encountered," the old granny tried to still the restless boy with a comforting hand, but he swatted it away.

"I'm not so sure, this time. Granted, she's never seemed entirely happy when she's visited before, but this time... it was different. She was devastated. I must help her."

"Haku... you know I hate to be a downer, but maybe there is no way you can help her. Fate led her here the first time, if Fate wants to bring her back, that's up to him. You know that," the witch took a seat at the small table and sipped her tea, "Ugh, it's gone cold from all this back and forth."

"I'm sorry, Zeniba, I don't mean to take up so much of your time. I should have been preparing for this long before now, but I just... I thought..." the dragon-boy hung his head.

"You thought she would forget?" the old woman guessed, with a sad inflection.

The boy simply nodded, eyes still cast solemnly towards the ground. He kicked at the floorboards, not knowing where exactly to go from there. The old witch couldn't help but notice, though the river spirit before her was several thousands of years old, he was still very much like a child in his mannerisms. However, the dominate tone and assertiveness he often portrayed, especially in the face of adversity, more than betrayed his true age. Zeniba had not known the boy long, but in the decade that she had, she'd grown quite fond of him, and proud, as well.

She stood from her seat and crossed towards the boy, placing her hands firmly on his shoulders, urging him to meet her eyes, "My dear boy, though you do not know the depth of your strength, I do know, for a fact, that you are one of the most powerful spirits I have ever encountered. You outwitted my own sister, took control of the bath house, and things have never been better for the employees and customers there. You know how powerful Yubaba and I are... overthrowing the likes of us is no easy task."

"I only did what I must," Haku turned his head to break her penetrating gaze, "I don't understand what that has to do with any of this."

"What I'm trying to say is, dearie," she released her grasp and crossed her arms, raising her brows pointedly, "you are capable of achieving anything you set your mind to."

"But, you just said that there was no way..." Haku growled lowly, becoming impatient with the conversation.

The weary woman sighed deeply, "I know what I said, son. I'm trying to be a bit more encouraging... I'm still not sure there is a way, but if anyone can find it, it would be you."

At that, a tall, shadowy figure, donning an oblong white mask, floated into the room and let out an eerie, "Ahh, ahh!"

"Well, that is an idea, I suppose..." Zeniba tapped her chin with one wrinkled finger.

"What did he say?" Haku glared at No-Face with a skeptical expression.

"He suggests a visit with Fate," Zeniba chuckled lightly, "Don't know why I didn't think of it before, honestly."

"Fate?" the river spirit questioned, incredulously, "But, that's impossible! No one even knows where he resides."

"Ahh, ahh... ahh," No-face made a motion with his spindly arms toward Zeniba.

"What? Well, yes... that's true, she does. But, I'm not sure Haku wants to take that route..." the witch looked toward the boy doubtfully.

"I don't speak his language, you know this. Please..." the boy let out an exasperated breath.

"Oh, right..." she chuckled nervously, "But, you won't like it..."

"Tell me. Now." there was that assertiveness, Zeniba noted.

"Yubaba may know where he is," she said, simply.

Haku's heart sank, "But... how does she know, if no one else does?"

"Yubaba has her secrets, as we all do. But honestly, I think they had a thing a few thousand years ago, if you know what I mean," she raised a brow in amusement, "Where do you think Boh came from?"

Haku blanched, "I didn't need to know that."

"Heavens, I didn't mean it like that! Where is your mind, boy? I meant, they _made a deal_ and Fate bestowed Yubaba with Boh in exchange for who knows what."

His shoulders fell in defeat, "What good does this do? It's not as if she would ever tell _me_ where to find him..."

"Unless..." the old granny's eye lit up with a plan, "Tell me, Haku, has Chihiro not aged?"

The boy narrowed his eyes, "She has, somewhat. She was ten when she visited last, so that would make her around 20 years old now."

"And you plan to bring her here as she is now?" she asked, prompting a very confused look from the boy, whose own appearance had not aged in many thousands of years.

"Of course. What kind of a question is that?"

"Well, maybe it's time for a change, then," the woman's eyes twinkled with mischief.

"What are you on about?" Haku raised an eyebrow, concerned at her words and expression.

The old witch gave a little hop, that set her floating in the air. Energy swirled around her, whipping dust around the quaint room. With a flick of her wrist, the magic engulfed Haku and lifted him off the ground, enveloping him in a misty blue smoke. When the commotion settled down, Haku was dropped to the ground, landing hard on one knee. Zeniba lowered herself down gently and planted her hands on her hips with a satisfied grin.

The mist cleared and Haku pushed himself to his feet. The ground seemed much farther away from his face than it had a few moments ago. When he turned around to check that his surroundings were still the same, strands of long black hair fell over the crest of his shoulder. He looked down and noticed that he was no longer wearing the white and green robes that he'd adorned all his life. Instead, they were replaced with robes of dark blue, almost black, with maroon detailing and stitching around the cuffs of his sleeves. His geta were replaced with dark leather boots that felt strangely heavy on the feet that had been nearly bare for so long. He caught his reflection in the mirror over the mantle.

He gasped at what he saw. His features were the same and yet entirely different at the same time. Every inch of his face was familiar but much more defined. His eyes were deeper set. His nose was slightly longer and more rigid. His lips were fuller and softer. His face shape had stayed relatively the same, but still, with all these seemingly minor changes, he was hardly recognizable. He swept his bangs across his forehead, pushing them to the side to clear his vision.

"Wha- what did you do?" he could hardly find the words.

"Well, isn't it obvious? I gave you a new visage. One that would fool Yubaba, and be slightly more appealing to a woman Chihiro's age," Zeniba's pride in her work was radiating.

"Wait, appealing? What are you getting at?" he cut his eyes at her.

The old woman laughed heartily, "Oh, I was young once. Technically, in this world, I still am relatively so. You think I haven't caught on to why you care so much for what happens to that girl? Tell me, did you really expect to bring her back here while you were still sporting that same barely teenage body you've been carrying around since birth?"

"I hadn't thought it through, really. I was more concerned with saving her," he went back to eyeing himself in the mirror, "This is so strange... after thousands of years... But do you really think this will work? Yubaba has known me much longer than you have... when she hears my voice, she's likely to figure it out."

"Can't you hear yourself, boy?"

"Well, yes, but..."

"She'll never be the wiser. Trust your old granny on that! Now, speaking of saving a certain young lady..." Zeniba trailed off.

Haku came back to himself, "Right, I guess I should be off, then. Thank you, Zeniba. You can consider me in your debt, if you wish."

"I don't know anyone in their right mind that would turn down that offer," the old witch clasped her hands together joyfully.

"Don't get too excited, Granny. If Yubaba figures it out, I may have no favors to give out... or a head, for that matter."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

The rusty mailbox creaked as Chihiro opened it and peaked inside. A single letter lay among crumpled cobwebs. The girl retrieved it and sat down on the curb of the sidewalk. She craned her neck around, leering at the looming apartment building behind her. She let out a deep sigh as she ran her hand along the creamy envelope. She read the bold letters printed along the front. It was another letter, from another university, the fifth one like it she had received. She doubted the news would be any different than before. She tore it open and unfolded the crisp paper, her worry realized in just the first sentence. Another denial...

She crumpled the paper and threw it into the street. She rested her arms on her knees and hung her head between them. Regret washed over her, as it always did when she read those words. It wasn't that she was stupid... far from it, really. It was that she had given up a long time ago on earthly things like school and grades. She was so sure things would have been different by now that she just hadn't bothered. Her thoughts were elsewhere, constantly. She had wasted her potential and her life, focusing instead on something she would never have.

Her sixteenth birthday had come and gone... Homecoming dances, prom, graduation... all those events that were supposed to be shared with friends and family... she had shunned them all, content to be alone with her memories, barely making it out of school by the skin of her teeth just so she wouldn't completely disappoint her parents.

Mr. and Mrs. Ogino had never seemed to care much, as it was. They had their own lives that they were engulfed in, often regarding Chihiro as little more than an afterthought. They loved their daughter, of course, only they had never been exactly what you'd call attentive.

Chihiro stood up from the stoop and stretched. She wasn't sure how long she had sat there, but in that time it had began to get cloudy.

"Looks like rain..." she muttered to herself.

As she made her way back to her apartment, the first drops of water started to fall. She heard a low rumble in the distance and her first inclination was to run for it, to avoid the downpour that seemed inevitable. Instead, she walked slower, letting the rain soak into her hair and clothes. By the time she reached the door, the storm had come in full force and she was drenched.

She slumped into the room, and shut the door tightly, leaning back against it. Her eyes scanned the minimal surroundings. She had lived in this apartment for two years now, having broken away from her parents as soon as she was legally able. It didn't take a lot of searching to find a place, for she had known for years where she would go once she moved out.

A long time ago, the apartments had been erected on top of what was once a very special river... one that was near and dear to Chihiro's heart. Moving there was her own way of being close to him.

The thought occurred to her, suddenly, _Maybe this is what he meant when he said we'd see each other again._

She wasn't sure why she'd never considered it before. It sort of made sense, in a roundabout way. After all, actually making it back to the spirit world, or him making it here, was kind of a long shot. It was possible that fate simply placed them to be as close as people from two different worlds could be, without actually being together.

_Fate can be a cruel mistress, as they say,_ she thought, bitterly.

The realization, of course, didn't make her feel any better. She crossed to her bookshelf and grabbed one of her favorite novels, cracking it open and curling up on the plush oversized chair in the corner. She didn't even bother to change into dry clothes, deciding the best way to get her mind off of all this was just to lose herself in her book until she couldn't hold her eyes open anymore... and that's precisely what she did.

* * *

><p>Haku finished writing and rolled up the piece of parchment, binding the tube with a teal green ribbon and completing it with the official bathhouse seal.<p>

"You're sure you'll be able to find the place?" he glanced sidelong at Yu-bird, who sat perched on his shoulder.

The silly-looking fowl gave an assuring chirp. So far, Yu-bird and Rin were the only two in the bathhouse that Haku had told of his transformation. He didn't want word getting around, since Yubaba still technically worked at the bathhouse.

About five years after Chihiro had gone home, Yubaba had finally let her greed and tyranny get the best of her. She was not only stealing names anymore. She began to steal essences, which would turn her employees into little more than robots, to do her bidding without question. When Haku noticed the change in the employees, he questioned Yubaba, who, in turn, tried to trap him and steal his essence, as well. However, with his name reclaimed and his powers back in full force, he was able to defeat the witch and restore the employees to their natural state. Once Yubaba was captured, Haku put a binding spell on her to quell her magic and the employees of the bathhouse unanimously voted for Haku to take charge.

He was somewhat of a reluctant leader, so he decided to promote Rin to management, and the foreman was granted a position in accounting. He took Yubaba's office as his own, mostly as an escape from the chaos of running the bathhouse. His principle job was signing forms and answering to any concerns from customers and employees. Yubaba was demoted to washer of the baths, primarily in charge of maintaining the big tub. The bathhouse ran much smoother now, though Haku often found himself drained and stressed from the added workload.

He massaged his temples with his index fingers and sighed, "Alright, then... this will be a feat, if it actually works. Are you ready, Yu-bird?"

The bird squawked and nodded its bulbous head. Flying from the man's shoulder, and grabbing the parchment in its talons, it went to hovering in the air in the middle of the room. Haku stood, gathering his power. Energy whipped through the room as the river spirit began to chant an ancient spell. A bright green ball of light began to appear near Yu-bird, growing larger as Haku continued the incantation. Soon, the light dissipated and in its place, a portal to the human world appeared.

"Now, Yu-bird!" Haku commanded.

The bird cawwed, questioningly.

"I told you, I can't cross over into that world, I'll lose my powers and fade away! Get going, before the portal closes!"

With one last shriek, Yu-bird flew towards the portal.

"Wait!" Haku cried, and with a flick of his wrist, Yu-bird was transformed into a regular crow, "There, now you won't scare the humans. Go on!"

As the bird shot through the hole, it snapped closed and Haku fell back into his chair, exhausted.

"I suppose it's time I made a little visit to an old nemesis," he rolled his eyes and stood to leave.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4**_

Some time around 3AM, Chihiro awoke with a start. She was still sitting, legs curled up under her, on the big chair in her living room. Her calves had fallen asleep under the pressure and she struggled to pull them forward. Wiggling her feet sent what felt like millions of tiny pin pricks up her legs. When the sensation finally began to wear off, she pushed herself up and made her way into the kitchen. Lazily, she pressed the button on her single-cup coffee maker and waited for it to heat. The only sounds around her were the little machine revving up and the gentle patter of rain still beating upon the concrete outside. Though the rain had not let up, the clouds were sparse and the moon was casting a surreal glow around the puddles on the ground outside.

When the machine finally powered up, she made herself a strong cup of coffee and turned to lean her back against the counter. She took in big whiffs of the drink's aroma, trying to pull the memory of the dream she'd just had out of the snippets that she could recall. She dreamed of a regal dance hall, like something she'd seen in a movie once. There was music and throngs of people dancing and conversing. It must have been a masquerade ball, she gathered, from their fancy attire and elegant masks. However, not all of them were people, some were creatures, also with their faces concealed, all chatting amongst themselves.

She remembered looking down at herself, seeing folds of beautiful crimson fabric, shoes bejeweled with garnets and rubies. She held a mask in her hand, devilish in form, with long black horns protruding from the top. When she raised her head, a man was walking towards her, most of his face concealed by a solid white mask. He was dressed, head to toe, in pure, stark white. He wore a suit, dress shoes, and his undershirt was undone at the top, exposing milky skin that was almost the same shade as his clothing. His dark, straight hair was pulled up into a pony tail and draped over one shoulder. But, it was his wings that really took her breath away.

They were as tall as he was, and the wind caught the feathers, pulling a few free to dance gently around him. Was he an actual angel, she wondered, her guardian angel, perhaps? The man approached her and held out his hand for hers. She gave it to him and he raised it to his lips. He looked deeply into her eyes and gave the slightest hint of a smile.

_"Chihiro... may I have this dance?"_

That voice... those eyes... they had been so familiar. She was sure she had never met a man like that before, but she couldn't shake the feeling of affinity that seemed to come so naturally when he held her hand.

Could it have been -

**WHAM!**

The sudden noise brought Chihiro out of her thoughts and she let out a gasp. Something had slammed against the window with terrifying force. She ducked behind the counter, almost spilling her coffee. After a minute, when no other noises came, she braved a peak at the window. Whatever had crashed into it had caused it to crack into a pattern much like a spider's web. She squinted through the darkness to see if there was anyone or anything out there. There was nothing. She crept as quietly as should could towards her door and opened it just a smidgeon. She could barely make out what looked like a bird, laying lifeless under her window.

"Oh, no! Poor thing!" she threw the door open and sprinted towards the creature, scooping it up into her shirt.

When she got back inside, she ran to the linen closet and grabbed as many towels as she could, while still clutching the bird to her chest. In her panic, she didn't notice the piece of paper fall from the bird's clutches and land at her feet. She flew to the kitchen and proceeded to wrap the creature in one of the towels, massaging it's feathers, trying to coax the life back into its fragile body. With a few of the clean towels, she fashioned a makeshift nest in a large bowl, and gently sat the bird into it. She went to turn the thermostat up, and when she passed the linen closet she noticed the tube of parchment lying there.

"Hmm... what's this?" she knelt down and retrieved it.

Oddly enough, it was entirely dry, though she was sure it had to have come from the animal, since it was nothing she'd ever seen before. She bumped the heat a few degrees and returned to the kitchen to check on the animal. When she peered into the bed she'd made, it wasn't there.

"What!?" her eyes flew wide with worry, "Umm, here, birdie, birdie... where are you?"

A small chirp came from the top of the refrigerator. The bird was perched there, its head cocked to the side curiously.

"Oh, there you are," she said, nervously, "You're, uh... you're not gonna hurt me, are you?"

When the bird cawwed, she could have sworn she saw it shake its head 'no'.

"Okay, then, would you like to come down from there?" as much as she tried, she couldn't wipe the look of fear from her face.

The bird glided down from the fridge and landed on the island counter in the center of the room. It nudged its beak towards the paper that was still clutched in Chihiro's shaking hand.

"What... you want me to open it?"

"Caw!" or was that a 'yes'?

"O... okay..."

Her trembling fingers pealed the wax seal away and the ribbon fell free. She uncurled the paper and held it up to the light. The message was simple, but the feelings it gave her were more complex than any she'd felt before.

_Please, come back. _

_One week from today._

_I'll be there for you._

_I promise._

_-H_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5**_

Haku approached the big bath hesitantly. As he passed the cubicles, the employees greeted him as if he were a customer.

_Good,_ he thought, _maybe she won't suspect anything after all._

He peered around the opening and saw Yubaba on her hands and knees, scrubbing scum from the floorboards. He cleared his throat to get her attention, but she didn't look up from her task.

"Ehem... excuse me," he started, "Are you Yubaba, the woman who used to own this bathhouse?"

"What's it to you?" the haggard woman replied gruffly, stubbornly keeping her attention on the suds in front of her.

He took a step into the cubicle, "I... heard you may be able to help me."

"Oh yea," she glanced sidelong at him, "And what's in it for me?"

He knew what would get her attention, "I can pay you handsomely for your efforts."

"Heh," the old woman tossed her scrub brush into the bucket and stood, wiping her hands on her grubby apron, "Now we're talking. What's your name, lad?"

"I... uh," he searched his mind as quickly as he could for a response, "my... my name is Masato."

He bowed deeply, but the woman returned the gesture with a skeptical look.

"What's the matter? Forget your name for a minute?" she set her hands firmly on her hips.

"No... it's... it's just that I didn't expect you to seem so regal. Even in those tattered clothes, I'd mistake you for a noble woman," he winced internally, hoping the compliments would work to throw her off.

"My dear boy, flattery will get you everywhere," she laughed boisterously, "You seem familiar, though. Have we met before Mam..."

"Masato," he corrected, "and no, ma'am, not that I recall. I've only heard tales of you."

"Well, trust when I say you can't believe everything you hear," she took a few steps toward him, "Unless it's all good, that is."

He forced a chuckle, "Mostly, it was."

"Good! Now, what was it you needed from me, dear?" she crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side, ready to listen, "And quickly, I've got work to do around here."

"I've heard that you know where to find a certain being, one that's quite elusive, as it were," he crossed his arms, mirroring her, "But I'm not sure how trustworthy my source is."

"Who is your source, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Your sister, Zeniba."

Her eyes widened considerably, "That old bat? She's off her rocker! Whatever she told you was probably hog wash!"

"What she told me was quite impressive, actually," he quirked an eyebrow, "She told me that you're one of the only people in the spirit world who knows where to find Fate."

The old witch let out a gasp, "Hush, boy! Come closer with that talk, and lower your voice! Do you know what kind of chaos you could bring upon us, talking like that?"

"What? What are you talking about?" he was rightly confused, but he lowered his volume and edged closer, erring on the side of caution.

"What am I talking about? Well, what in the world do you think would happen if people knew that I had that kind of knowledge? They'd never give me a moment of peace! Not that I get much these days, as it is!"

"Okay, alright... forgive me. But please, tell me it's true."

She thought for a moment, "What did you say I'd get for this, again?"

"You'll get paid," he reminded, "handsomely."

"Gold?" she questioned.

"And diamonds, rubies, emeralds. Enough spare change to buy the bathhouse back for yourself, if you so please," he hoped he wasn't pushing his luck with this malarky.

The witch scoffed, "Not in my lifetime! I wasn't bought out, I was overthrown! I thought everyone knew that."

"I don't come around these parts often. I'm sorry, I wasn't aware. But still, I can provide you with enough to leave this place, build your own bathhouse somewhere far from here. Whatever you desire, monetarily, that is, I can make it happen. I just need information."

"Fine. I'll tell you, but I want to know what you need him for. Plus a promise that you won't reveal to him that I'm the one who told you where he is," she paused as if she was finished, but then added, "And a down payment."

"Agreed," he said, simply.

"Well, out with it. What's so dire that you need to get Fate involved?"

"He has something that belongs to me... something very important, and I wish to reclaim it."

"Heh, I know that feeling..." she grumbled, "Very well, that's good enough for me. Now, lean in here and I'll tell you all you need to know."

* * *

><p>The rain had finally cleared as dawn approached. Rays of sun peeked through the clouds, their warmth sending steam rising from the damp grass. Chihiro sat nursing her third cup of coffee, which had begun to give her the jitters. Or maybe it was the letter that did it. She stared at the bird as it hopped around the kitchen floor, nibbling up the pieces of bread she'd scattered about for it. That bird... it was so strangely friendly. Though it seemed to be just an ordinary crow, it could obviously understand her. They had developed a question-answering system of 'one caw for yes, two for no.'<p>

What was it about this bird that was so familiar? She had been racking her brain for hours, when it finally occurred to her.

"Hey, little one," Chihiro called to the animal.

"Caw?" it still weirded her out when it did that.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Caw."

She took a deep breath and tried to steady her hands and heartbeat, "Do... do I know you?"

The bird hesitated but then let out another short, "Caw."

"Was I very young when we met?"

"Caw, caw."

"Well, was I kind of young, then?"

"...caw."

"Around... ten years old?"

"...caw."

"Yu-bird?"

"CAW!"

The bird zipped over to her, excitedly and perched on her shoulder, nuzzling the side of her face.

"Wow, you look different," that was all she could think to say.

"Caw... caw caw caw!"

"Are you saying I do too?" she chuckled lightly.

"Caw!"

"Yea, I guess you're right. A decade sure can change a person... well, a human, anyway."

The crow hopped down onto the armrest of the chair and looked at her questioningly.

"What is it, Yu-bird?"

"Caww... cawww"

"I don't understand," she shook her head, but an idea came to her, "Say, can you read letters?"

"Caw."

"Good, I have an idea," she stood and crossed the room, returning to her seat with her laptop.

She opened it and the screen automatically lit up. Pulling up a new word document, she sat the machine on the armrest in front of Yu-bird.

"Here, use your beak to type what you want to tell me," she demonstrated what she meant and urged the animal on.

The bird thought a moment and hopped a bit closer to the contraption. It lowered its head and began to peck at the keys, one by one. It took several minutes for the animal to finish its message, but when it did, it hopped back so Chihiro could see.

"Finished?"

"Caw!" it sang out with satisfaction and the girl could swear the thing was smiling.

She leaned in and read the words...

_we miss you. haku miss you. please come home._

Tears began to pull at the corners of her eyes, "Oh, Yu-bird... I don't know what to say."

"Caw?"

She laughed through her pangs of sadness, "Are you saying I should say yes?"

"Caw!"

Her hand went to her eyes and she rubbed at the sleep clinging there, "I... just don't know... I miss you all so much, too, but... if I go back... what if I just have to leave again? Then where will I be?"

"Caw caw!" the creature looked considerably disturbed by that answer.

"No? You're saying I can't leave again if I go back?" she smiled faintly.

"Caw caw!" it cried, shaking its head.

"Well, does that mean you're staying here with me for the next week?"

"Caw?"

She genuinely laughed at that, "Alright, then. I just hope my landlord doesn't find out about this."


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6**_

The plan had gone off without a hitch, and he was still having trouble believing it. According to Yubaba, Fate's hiding place would be a journey of several days for anyone who'd have to take the trip on foot, or even by train. Many times in his life, he'd been more than thankful for the gift of shapeshifting, but none more so than now. He waited until he was a safe distance from the bathhouse before he shifted. As far as anyone knew, aside from Rin, Haku was taking a long vacation and wouldn't return for at least a week.

The river spirit felt a rush of adrenaline as skin and hair transformed into scales and fur. When the alteration was completed, he gave himself a once-over, happy to see his dragon from still appeared unchanged.

_At least, if she doubts me,_ he thought, _I can prove it like this._

With that, he was off, shooting through the sky like a silvery lightening bolt. He flew as fast as he could in the direction Yubaba had pointed him. He prayed that the woman hadn't actually caught onto him and sent him on a wild goose chase out of spite.

_That would be just like her..._

He continued on for several hours, determined not to stop until he knew he was at least halfway there. His body began to quiver with exhaustion and he knew that if he didn't stop to rest soon he would plummet right out of the sky. He spotted a clearing with a stream running through it about a half mile from where he hovered, deciding it was as good a place as any to break for the night.

When he landed, he went immediately to the stream and took a long slow drink from its cool waters. Morphing back to human form, he flicked his wrist and a bedroll and campfire appeared before him. He hunkered down in front of the blaze, bringing his legs to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. He held out one had and waved it over the fire, causing the embers and flames to swirl and flow until a tiny figure appeared there.

She danced among the ashes and rose up in a grand flourish, spinning and whirling with merriment. It was his dream of what could be... to see her happy enough to dance without inhibitions. He wasn't sure how or when it had occurred, this weight inside his heart that bared her name. Thousands of years of what seemed like a curse of eternal life, until the day that she arrived and his whole world turned upside down.

He thought back to that fateful day, a decade earlier. She had been scared, clumsy, pure, and innocent... everything he wasn't. She was only a child, and the love he had for her then was as innocent as her own continence. It wasn't until after she left and had been gone for several years that he began to find himself not just missing her, but pining for her. He would pace the grounds outside the bathhouse, waiting and wondering if she'd ever return there.

The years stretched on and he began to lose hope, until one day, six years into their separation. He was perched on the top step of the stairs leading down to the field, when in the distance he spotted a distinctly female silhouette. He jumped to his feet in anticipation. As she approached the steps, and her form became more clear, there was no denying it was her. She had aged beautifully, her style classic and comfortable. Haku felt his heart tug as she began to ascend towards him. When she reached the top, she smiled warmly, but Haku's own happiness melted away when he realized that she was looking right through him.

"Chihiro?" he said softly.

"Huh?" the girl's brow knitted curiously, and she glanced around, "What... Hm, must have been the wind..."

_She can't see me,_ he thought, sadly.

"I'm back, Haku... finally," she chuckled, "I don't know if you can hear me, or if you're even there, but I wanted to come see you, now that I can drive myself. My parents can't keep me away anymore."

He tried placing a hand on her shoulder, just to let her know he was present and listening. The pressure made her tense up, and she whipped around, startled.

"Is... is that you?"

"Yes... I'm here."

She took a breath in, "I must be imagining things... Anyway, if you are here and you're listening, I just wanted to let you know that I haven't forgotten you or the kindness you showed me. Thank you... for everything."

She stood there a moment, the breeze moving lightly through her chocolatey hair. It was longer, he noticed, and slightly darker than it was in her youth, but she still fixed it in the same style. She wore only a touch of makeup and a slip of a dress. It was black with tiny red roses scattered all over, with thin straps that exposed the milky skin of her shoulders, and a black cardigan tide around her waist. He remembered it all like it was yesterday. She was a vision, and all he could do was wish with all his heart that she would sense his presence.

"I haven't forgotten your promise, either," she continued, "I know it's probably a long shot, but I was hoping maybe, if I stay here long enough, the door to the spirit world will open and maybe I can see you. If not... that's okay, I can wait..."

She slipped a backpack off her shoulder and dangled it from one hand, starting down the path towards the decrepit buildings in front of her. When she approached the first restaurant, she sat at a seat and slung the pack up onto the counter in front of her. Haku followed her there and took a seat next to her. She pulled a plastic wrapped sandwich and a snack bag of chips from her satchel, and began to unwrap them.

"Until then, why don't we have a picnic and catch up? I'll tell you all about what's going on with me, until we see each other again, then you can tell me all about you. Sound good?" she took a bite of food and chewed slowly, seemingly waiting for a response, "Alright, well, I'll start with right after my parents and I got home that day..."

She began a long, detailed story of how she had told her parents all that had happened during her time with him and how she had begged for years to come back. However, her parents continued to insist she'd been dreaming and refused to enable her, what they called, "childish fantasies". He listened intently, finding it hard to believe that she was actually sitting there next to him after all this time.

Her tale took on a sad tone as she recounted her lack of friends, how she had not been doing well in school, and how deeply she missed the people and place that had once taken her in.

"I miss everyone, but I think I miss you most of all, Haku," she pushed a few chip crumbs around on the counter, before swiping them off, "Granny said love broke the spell that she put on you... and then Kamaji said that love is what guided you back to life... I've been thinking about that a lot lately. What do you think they meant, Haku?"

The spirit laid back on the bedroll, letting his thoughts carry him into dreams, unaware that just a few feet away, just inside the tree line, sat a pair of glowing red eyes, watching and waiting.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7**_

Yubaba snapped her finger in front of her face and with the tiny flame it emitted, she lit the end of her cigarette. She breathed in deeply as the fire caught to the end of the slender stick. At least Haku hadn't taken that convenient, if slightly underwhelming, piece of magic from her. She leaned against a support beam, staring pensively out at the calm waters. That traitorous river spirit had cost her so much these past few years, most importantly, her pride.

_Hope he's enjoying his little vacation,_ she thought with disdain, _he has no idea the tricks he's in for._

Unbeknownst to Haku, the old witch had figured out his little ruse. Sure, she had told him the correct way to Fate's whereabouts, but she had neglected to inform him of the peril he would encounter along the way. Not to mention, the devious devices that Fate, no doubt, had up his sleeve. Her own run-in with the powerful spirit had almost cost her her life, so many years ago.

"Yubaba!" a familiar voice shouted from the doorway behind her, "It's not your break time yet. Would you get back in here? The customers will be here any minute, we need all hands on deck."

Yubaba rolled her eyes and threw her cigarette down, smashing it into the boards with her shoe, "Yea, I'm coming..."

"And what have I told you about putting those things out on the deck? You're leaving so many burn marks this place is starting to look like a dalmatian," Rin crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes threateningly.

"I'll turn you into a dalmatian if you don't watch your tone with me," the witch grumbled under her breath.

"Excuse me?" the slender bath house manager challenged.

"Oh, nothing! Just leave me be will you? I'm a frail old woman, I deserve a little more respect around here," Yubaba attempted to play the pity card.

"Ha! Like the way you respected all your employees by stealing their essences? Unlikely, but you can keep trying," Rin scoffed, bemused.

The crone spun on her heels to face the girl, malice igniting in her eyes, "You listen to me, you little rat! I built this bathhouse! It would never even be standing here if it weren't for me, let alone the thriving business that it is! You know, the business that puts gold in your pocket and food in your belly!? You were no one before I swept you up and gave you a job!"

"And I was no one again when you tried to zombify all of us!" Rin returned, matching her vehemence.

"I did what I had to do to keep things running smoothly. You were all getting out of hand! With a place this busy and the number of employees I had to keep under my thumb, what choice did I have?" she was growing red in the face with anger, "If I hadn't have kept you all docile, you would have run my business into the ground, the way you carried on after that measly runt left. Like you owned the place! The nerve of the lot of you!"

The young woman snorted, "Seems like Haku is doing a fine job of it. Maybe if you hadn't tried to keep him 'under your thumb', he could have taught you a thing or two and you'd still be running the place instead of scrubbing up spirit scum."

"Why I ought to-" Yubaba lunged towards Rin, grabbing at her frock, but she was frozen in her tracks by a jolt of magic, "Wha-! How? Where did you learn that?!"

"Haku taught me a few things so that I could keep the peace while he's away," Rin smirked and floated the old woman backwards until she was several feet safely away.

The witch seethed, but her labored breaths quickly turned to deep, menacing cackles as a thought dawned on her, "That'll be the last thing Haku ever teaches you! Ah ha ha ha haaa!"

The girl's eyes bulged in alarm, "What are you talking about, you old coot?"

"Oh, hee hee, no time to explain, my dear," the woman turned and made her way into the building, "I've got baths to scrub!"

"Wait! You get back here!" Rin demanded and took off after the woman, hoping to pry some answers out of her.

* * *

><p>Chihiro groaned and rolled over, burying her face in her pillow. She hadn't been able to sleep much at all since she had received Haku's letter, the previous night. When she did manage to catch a few minutes of nap, she was swept up into strange dreams, some old, some new, but always revolving around the spirit world and the river spirit.<p>

"Might as well get up," she said to the crow, who was curled up on the other pillow still sound asleep, "I guess it's just me then."

She peered at her clock, which read precisely 5:26AM. That called for her coffee, this morning, to be strong and black: her fuel to face the day. She was on the verge of losing her job, as it was, but in the week since she'd lost her parents, her exhaustion levels had risen to maximum frequency. Her boss was less than sympathetic, but it would appease him to know that she actually had over four hours this morning to assure that she wouldn't show up late today.

She showed up late, anyway, disheveled and clumsy, as usual. She had drank too much coffee, again, which gave her the shakes and made her hyper-focused on the most menial of tasks. She spent a full twenty minutes just brushing her teeth, and trying to comb and style her hair was a whole other monster in and of itself. When she finally, and quite literally, stumbled into the fabric store, the time on the clock read 10:31AM and the expression on the manager's face read "dead meat".

"I- I'm so sorry, sir! I lost my keys and my wallet and I couldn't go anywhere without them!" she spat out in a panic, "Please, you have to understand!"

"That's the third time this week that you've lost those, girl! Do you take me for some kind of fool?" the manager growled.

"Of course not! It's just that things have been so rough, I'm not myself at all lately," she didn't want or need to beg to keep her job, not if Haku came through for her in a few days, but she hated to disappoint anyone.

"I don't think you've been 'yourself' since the moment you started working here!" he bellowed, "This is your very last chance, young lady. Pull this mess one more time, and you're out for good, you hear me?"

"Yes, sir! Thank you, sir," she bowed deeply.

"Off with you, I need you to count inventory today and run the numbers!" he shooed her off, "and make sure you check and double check this time! You're walking a thin line, no room for error anymore."

"Yes, sir!" she repeated, and disappeared behind the stockroom door.

Once she was hidden from sight, she breathed a sigh of relief. Something about authority figures made her feel deathly insecure. She wondered if it had anything to do with Yubaba being her first real boss. The way that woman could rant and rave would send even the strongest person cowering into a hole. Granted, she had finally stood up to Yubaba in the end, but that had partially been because Haku was by her side. His protective nature towards her had given her the strength and courage she had need to fight and win. Without him there, she was reverted to a sniveling mess, and she cursed herself for it.

She started on her task, shaking the nerves off as best as she could manage. She didn't particularly like the responsibility of inventory duty, but she loved being in the storage room surrounded by the rows of gorgeous fabric bolts. She would often take a moment to just walk around the room, running her hands along the cloth, soaking in the various textures and colors. They had just received a new shipment, so Chihiro grabbed a box cutter and began tearing into the boxes.

When she got to the third box, and lifted the lid, her breath caught in her throat. Laying there, in the middle of the bolts, was the most beautiful fabric she'd ever seen, beckoning to her like some kind of woven, silken sign. It was obviously fabric that was meant for a silk kimono, for the texture was heavy and rich, but it was the color and pattern that had caught her eye. Small, willowy white dragons swam in a sea of dark teal green, frolicking among billowy clouds. She pulled the spool from the box and hugged it tightly to her chest.

"I miss you," she whispered, breathlessly.

She sat there for a few moments, nuzzling her cheek to the fabric, but was interrupted by the manager barging in to check on her progress.

"Chihiro! What on earth are you doing?"

"Uh, nothing sir. I, I - I was just... uh... admiring the new arrivals. I'm almost done, I swear," she explained.

"You've been in here for over an hour, girl. You're not almost done, you are done. Get your stuff together and go home. You're fired," he pointed towards the door for emphasis.

"But... but..." Chihio felt her bottom lip quiver, but instead of giving in to her emotions, she hardened her expression, "Fine! But please, sir, tell me how much for this bolt of fabric. I want to buy it before I leave."

"That tacky looking stuff? Take it. Consider it a parting gift," he waved her off, "Just get out of here. You're holding up business."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir," she bowed to him and quickly gathered her belonging, running at full speed out of the shop.

As she was leaving, the owner's wife watched with wide eyes as she noticed what the girl was clutching as she exited, "Wait! Where are you going with that?!"

"Oh, let her go, Mina. It's just some ugly satin stuff. Looked cheep so I let her take it. She's out of our hair for good now, she may as well get something out of it too," he shrugged.

"That was pure silk, you idiot! You just cost us a few hundred dollars!" she rewarded him with a swift smack to the back of the head.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8**_

As the sun began to fade, Chihiro's tale came to an end. Haku still sat stoically beside her, mesmerized by her voice and the way she moved. She was so much more graceful than she had been, once upon a time. The girl looked around forlornly, her gaze stopping on the chair beside her, where the boy sat, unseen. She reached out for the slick red cushion, her hand passing effortlessly through Haku's ghostly legs.

"It feels warm," she noticed, looking perplexed, "but... it doesn't look like I'll have any luck tonight."

All around him, the spirits were gathering to partake in their feasts. He could only assume they were as hidden to Chihiro as he was. The door had not opened this night, and he wasn't sure when or if it ever would again.

"I guess I'll be going," she sighed, "I'll be back to try again, every weekend. I'd come during the week but I have school, and my parents would worry if I was gone all night on a school day. I know I talked about them like they're kind of heartless, but... they really do love me, they just don't always know how to show it..."

She got up from her seat and turned to leave, Haku following close behind. When she reached the river border, she stopped to take a look back, her eyes continuing to search for signs of life. He noticed the shimmer in her eyes, a sure sign that she was holding back tears, and he felt his own fill with a salty sting.

"Please don't forget me, Haku," she whispered to the wind.

He reached out to touch her face, "I'll never forget you, Chihiro."

She sniffled and it seemed as if she was leaning into his touch, "I don't know if that's you or just my imagination, but... I love you. I used to think it was just friendship, but now that I'm older... I think it's more than that. And... I just wanted you to know. Goodbye for now."

His words stuck in his throat as she turned and hopped across the rocks. He stood watching her depart until she disappeared into the tunnel.

"I'll find a way to bring you back, Chihiro. One day... I promise..."

Haku's thoughts had taken control of his dreams, as they often did. He slept restlessly, tossing and turning on the thin bedroll. Finally, he gave up trying, pushing himself up to sitting. The dragon spirit groaned and rubbed his head, trying to clear his foggy vision. Something was moving on the ground in front of him, but the fire had long since extinguished and all he could make out was a small amber squiggle slithering towards him. He threw up his hand, igniting the embers in the middle of the small clearing, illuminating the place. In front of him, right at his feet, was a long, rust-colored serpent. It backed up a bit, hissing quietly.

Suddenly, the animal began to grow, quickly taking on mass and height, right before Haku's eyes. When the transformation was through, in front of the man stood a tall, sumptuous woman, with long black hair and a flowing, sheer dress, the same rust color as her scales had been. She smiled sweetly and approached the river spirit.

"Who... who are you?" he stood, apprehensive.

"My name is Kiyohime, but you may call me Kiyo," her voice, though pleasant, had a snake-like hiss, "I've been waiting a lifetime for a man such as you to find his way into my forest."

Haku wasn't sure how to respond, so he simply stood there, giving her a quizzical look.

She took a few more steps in his direction, "You're powerful beyond reason, I can sense it. And handsome. And... _loyal_. If you'll let me, I'll make your dreams come true."

She laid a hand on Haku's chest, but he took a step back defensively, "I doubt you know my dreams, let alone that you have the ability to make them come true."

"I saw your dreams," she smirked, knowingly, "What do you think I was doing as you slumbered, so?"

The hand that he had rejected reached out and touched his forehead. She pulled it back swiftly and began to change form again. This time, her hair shrunk up her body and lightened to a chocolate brown. Her long gown became a short, black sundress with small red roses scattered all over. Her facial features shifted, becoming softer and frighteningly familiar.

Impulsively, Haku stepped closer, "Chihiro?"

Her voice was even the same as the girl she was mimicking, "This is what you desire, is it not?"

"No... not like this..." he began to back up again, "You're not really her."

"Who needs her?" she snapped, "I can be anything you want. Isn't that better than some silly human?"

With that, she morphed into a series of different bodies. First, she became a buxom blonde in a tight black dress, then a redhead in a tank top and jeans. Haku paled when she became Rin, then Yubaba. She finally settled back into the form of Chihiro, but this time she was the modern, twenty-year-old, version.

She slinked towards him, seductively, sliding the black pullover sweater she wore down off her shoulders. Letting it drop to the ground, she began to tug the bottom hem of her shirt up, exposing the supple skin of her hips and stomach.

"Stop it!" the dragon spirit demanded, a hint of fear in his eyes, "I won't let you do this to her!"

"Why stop it, when you so obviously want it?" she raised an enticing brow, "Take me, Haku. I want you."

As he retreated from her advances, his back made contact with the trunk of a tree. She had him cornered and though the idea of hurting her while she looked as she did sent an ache through his very soul, he tried to hold onto the thought that this was not really _her_. She slid her hands up his chest and cupped his face.

"Kiss me," she whispered, her lips inches from his own.

"Please, stop this. I don't want to hurt you," he turned his face to the side to avert her gaze.

She looked so much like the girl he once knew, and it was becoming harder to withstand the urge to sweep her up in an embrace.

"I can hear your thoughts, my love," she wrenched his head back in her direction, "You won't be able to resist much longer."

She leaned in to kiss him, but just as she was about to make contact, he shoved at her with a violent discharge of magic. She flew backwards, toppling head over feet, and landed sprawling on the other side of the clearing. She stood shakily and morphed back to her original form. Her eyes glowed with crimson flame.

Her forked tongue darted out from between her teeth, "You will regret that! After all I've done for you! How much I loved you! Why would you do this to me, Anchin!?"

"Who?" Haku asked, baffled by her words, "What are you talking about? You're insane!"

"I only wanted to be your one true love!" she shrieked, her expression crazed, "But you left me for that whore!"

Her skin began to molt and her body grew, twisting up into itself, until she was once again the rust-color serpent. This time, however, she was humongous. Haku fell back against the tree in horror as she coiled her body, appearing if she was about to strike.

"You betrayed me, Anchin! You'll pay for what you did to me!"

* * *

><p>"Spill it, Yubaba," Rin jabbed a slender finger into the old witch's chest, "What are you planning to do to Haku?"<p>

"How can I do anything to him? He's away on vacation, isn't he?" Yubaba asked, putting on an air of feigned innocence.

"You must think I'm stupid. I know you're up to something. It's all over your wrinkly old face!" the woman was quickly losing her patience, "He doesn't have to let you stay here, you know. He could throw you and that big, whiney bundle of yours out on your butts so fast your head would spin, and no one would blame him for it!"

"Ha! He doesn't have it in him to throw me out!" Yubaba shot back, "That kind of move would take guts. Something that he is wholly lacking."

"No, he has to big of a heart, is his problem," Rin retorted, "If I was in charge, you would have been gone in a minute."

"So, you're saying you're heartless, 'ey?" she was trying to divert the conversation, but the young woman wouldn't have it.

"Stop trying to change the subject. Tell me what your planning, or you'll get a nice long look at all the things I learned from your master."

"He is **_NOT_**_ my master_!" Yubaba's nostrils emanated smoke.

"Well, he's your boss now, at the very least, and I know you've got something up your sleeve," Rin refused to back down, "Now, spill it, _or else_."

"Or else what, you ungrateful little twerp? Show me what you've got, because I'm sure I've had worse!" the old crone came towards her, threateningly.

"You asked for it," she flicked her hand forward and a spiral of energy shot out at the witch.

"Ack!" Yubaba threw her arms up to shield her face, but ended up shielding herself from the blast, entirely.

"What the..." Rin couldn't believe her eyes.

When the old witch realized what had just occurred, she cackled wickedly.

"No... you're not supposed to be able to do that!"

"Not unless that mangy dragon has gotten himself gravely injured. But... he's just on vacation, _right_?" she grinned maliciously, "If I were you, girl, I'd start running... and fast."


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9**_

The serpent barred its fangs and lunged forward. Haku spun around behind the tree, blocking himself from her strike. Her fangs sank easily into the bark, as if it were soft as butter.

"You should really pick on someone your own size," man became dragon in a split second.

As massive as Haku's alternate form was, the snake-girl still dwarfed him, considerably. However, the spirit still had one trick up his sleeve. With a ferocious growl, he shot off the ground, but the animal proved too quick for him. She sprang up, chomping at his tail and catching it in her fangs. She yanked him backwards, bringing his body crashing to the ground. He struggled to stand as she readied herself to strike again. He charged at her, ripping at her throat with his fangs. The serpent let out a pained cry, wriggling violently, tearing free from his grasp. She coiled up onto herself and hissed angrily. Haku made another break for it, vaulting into the sky, but the snake leapt after him once more.

He bellowed in anguish, as her fangs sank into his skin, piercing him deeply, blood spurting from the punctures. His veins seared as she emptied her venom into him. She jerked him down, and his head slammed into the ground, almost knocking him unconscious. As the blood poured from his wounds, his vision began to fade, but he made one last effort to take to the skies. With all his strength, he pushed upward. The serpent, still attached by the teeth, was dragged up into the air. She squirmed her way up his body, chomping into him as she went, and began to wrap herself around him. Her body constricted and he could feel his bones crunching under the pressure. He gasped for air, gagging and hacking, struggling to stay airborne, as the last breath of life threatened to escape him.

Suddenly, the ground began to tremble below them, and Haku could feel the snake loosen her death-grip. Through the fog of misery clouding his sight, he could just barely make out two gigantic figures emerging from the trees. Gusts of air kicked up, causing the trees to sway wildly about. A great cacophony of wind began to swirl around them and they were swept up into a funnel of cloudy debris. The cyclone shook them violently, ripping the snake away from the dragon. They whirled about inside of the twister for what felt like an eternity, until finally, a pair of large hands reached inside and plucked the pair from the maelstrom.

In an instant, the wind died down and the tornado dissipated. Haku slumped, lifeless, in the giant's palm. Mercifully, he still clung to consciousness, and he saw as the serpent was thrown furiously to the ground. From the clouds shot a bolt of brilliant lightening, striking the snake-girl where she lay, instantly charring her body to a burnt crisp. Haku could feel himself wasting away, his power draining as fast as his blood. No longer powerful enough to retain his dragon form, his body shifted slowly back to normal. Lying there on his back, still in the giant's clutches, he could just make out the face of the beast.

"Who... are you?" he almost choked on the words.

"I am Fujin," he turned to give the spirit a view of the other giant, "This is brother Raijin. We try for many years to rid the land of Kiyohime. But she will always return."

The brother stepped towards them, "You did well, young dragon. Not all men find ease in resisting her power. For this, we will call on another, who may save you, as we can not."

The giant called Fujin knelt down and placed Haku gently on the forest floor, and folding his hands together, he began to pray, "Oh, great Sukuna-Biko-Na, we call you forth to restore this spirit. He has shown his worth by resisting the charms of the demon Kiyohime. Please, heed our call and fill this spirit with your healing light."

A blinding tunnel of white light encircled the clearing, as Haku let out a gasping breath and slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>"It's so nice to finally have someone to talk to about this, that doesn't think I'm crazy," Chihiro stroked Yu-bird's head gently, lulling the bird to sleep in her lap, "Sorry if I'm boring you."<p>

She smiled down at the creature, who glanced up at her with a lazy, "Caw caw."

"Good," she chuckled, "It's just nice to get it all off my chest. For so many years, I really thought I had just dreamed it all. The voice I always heard when I went to visit the ruins... I was sure at first it was Haku, but then, after a while, I convinced myself I was just hearing things. I was sure my parents were going to have me committed. If it had gone on for much longer like that, I might have committed myself, honestly."

The bird whined sympathetically, and Chihiro gave it a light scratch around the neck.

"You're such a good friend, Yu-bird," she picked the animal up and sat it carefully in the chair.

The bird almost instantly faded into slumber. The young woman crossed to her desk, where she had set up her sewing machine, and studied the project draped there. She had begun to transform the fabric her ex-boss had given her into a dress, for the day she was to return to the spirit world. Carefully, she caressed the cloth, tracing the little dragons with her fingertip. She wondered how different the place would be. Did Yubaba still run the bathhouse, and if so, was she as much of a dictator as she had always been? Did Rin still work there, or had she finally gotten on that train and away from that place, as she had always dreamed? Did No-Face still live with Granny in Swamp Bottom, or had he eventually gone off on his own? She hoped he hadn't caused Granny any problems after she left.

And what of Haku? Would he still look the same? Did spirits age, or were they stuck in whatever form they took for the rest of eternity? How awkward it would be, she thought, if she were to return as she was now, only to be greeted by the young boy that she remembered. Would that change how she felt? Would he find some way to change his appearance to better match hers? Was there even a way to do that? Quickly, she was beginning to regret letting herself meander into this train of thought.

_Maybe a little sewing will get my mind off of it,_ she decided.

She picked up the pieces of fabric and sat down, pulling her pincushion from the drawer to begin her task.

_I wonder, if he can change, if he would even want to,_ Chihiro couldn't seem to push the internal dialogue away, _it would only be beneficial if he felt the same way..._

As for that, she had no way of knowing. It could be that he just considered them friends. If he heard everything she had been telling him over the years, during her visits, it was possible he just wanted to bring her back out of pity. A favor to an old acquaintance, nothing more. She supposed she could ask Yu-bird, when the foul finally rose from its nap. Until then, she would just have to wrestle with her thoughts, hoping her fears were invalid, and that the place she would leave to in the next few days would still feel like home after all this time.

* * *

><p><em>So... how 'bout some reviews? I mean, I plan on continuing whether I get them or not, it's just nice to know what people think, regardless of if it's good or bad. If you've read this far, would you be so kind as to take a second to write a line or two and hit that button that says "Review"? Heh... I bet you've never heard <em>that_ one on here before. _

_Anyway, I tried to do a little research on Japanese deities and folklore to incorporate into the story, to make it more interesting. Hope you all are enjoying my tale so far, and thanks so much for reading! Until next time!_


	10. Chapter 10

_This is a slightly longer chapter than I've been posting, to make up for not posting for a few days. I'm hoping that -all- off the chapters will be a little longer from here on out and I now have a general idea of where this is headed. Thank you so much to those that have reviewed, favorited, and followed the story so far! Your interest is appreciated more that I can express. Much love to you all! *hugs all around*_

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 10<strong>_

"Yubaba's destroying the place!" Rin had managed to escape down to the boiler room and was filling Kamaji in on the chaos that was taking place upstairs, "We've got to do something! There's no way to get in touch with Haku and the magic he left me with isn't powerful enough to take her down!"

"He should never have left in the first place," the old man growled, "What was that boy thinking? He should have known something like this would happen. At the very least, he should have chained the witch up before he went on his little vacation. Vacation? Pah! Must be nice! I haven't had a vacation in a millennium!"

"Kamaji! Focus, please! We've got a vengeful sorceress on our hands! What are we going to do about this?!"

"You're in charge, you figure it out! I'm too old to be fighting battles anymore," the old man turned back around, disregarding the woman, "Hey... where are all the bath tokens?"

Rin huffed, "There are no bath tokens, you old prune! The customers are running for their lives, up there! I suggest you get down off that high horse of yours and help us out of this mess, or you won't have a job to go back to!"

"Oh, fine..." he grumbled, slinking down from his post, "Well, what are you waiting for, girl, get a leg out!"

They tore out of the boiler room and up the staggering staircase. Even from outside, they could hear the thunderous ruckus of breaking furniture and spirits screaming in terror. So many of them were trying to escape at once that the doorways were flooded and no one could manage to squeeze their way out.

"Trapped like the vermin you are!" Yubaba cackled ferociously.

Heat filled the hallway, as Rin and Kamaji entered the room. A blast of flame shot from Yubaba's palms, igniting the walls and nipping at the robes of the employees, still fighting to break through the throng.

"She's going to burn the place to the ground!" Rin shouted, franticly, "What are we going to do?!"

"Haku's office!" Kamaji remembered suddenly, "There's a looking glass that the boy uses to communicate with Zeniba! Maybe she can do something."

"And Boh! I can't believe I didn't think of that earlier! If we can get Boh down here, he can at least distract her for a while. Let's go!"

They made a mad dash towards the elevator. When they reached the top floor, they saw a sleepy Boh stumbling down the hallway, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

"What's all the noise about?" the big baby mumbled when he saw them.

"It's your mom, Boh! She's lost her mind! We need you to go down there and talk some sense into her," the young woman pleaded, "She's making a mess of the place and scaring off our customers! If you don't do something, she'll ruin us. Please, kid!"

"Why's mama being mean?" the boy questioned, clearly not grasping the urgency of the situation.

"She's mad that Haku is running the bathhouse now and she has to scrub the baths," Rin explained, "But somehow, she got her magic back and she's using it to try and destroy us."

"Well, that's not very nice," Boh squinted, "I'll go talk to her, you wait here where it's safe."

The oversized baby tromped off towards the elevator. Rin and Kamaji breathed sighs of relief.

"Now, where's that looking glass?" the young woman scanned the room around her.

"Over here," Kamaji pointed, "He keeps it hung behind the desk. That's it!"

Rin rushed over to it and yanked it from the wall, "Alright, so, how do we turn this thing on?"

Kamaji shrugged, "Never seen him start the thing, you'll have to figure it out yourself."

The girl rolled her eyes and huffed, shaking the mirror, she tried forcefully, "Hey, Zeniba! Earth to Zeniba! If you're there, come in!"

They both stared impatiently at the reflective surface before them... but nothing happened.

Rin let out a whine, but tried again, "How about this... Mirror, mirror, in my hands, let me talk to the old woman in Swamp Bottom... land?"

"Nice try," Kamaji said sarcastically, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Give me a break, I'm new to all the magic stuff," her eyes widened with realization, "Hey... how 'bout this?"

She gathered her energy and concentrated. Splaying her hand over the surface, she breathed in, the suspense prickling her skin. A wave rippled along the glass, and in a second, the reflective surface was transformed into a window, peering into the room of a quaint cottage. A familiar woman sat at a table sipping tea and conversing with a tall, shadowy figure.

"Yes!" Rin exclaimed, "Zeniba! Zeniba, it's Rin! We need your help!"

The old woman straightened with surprise and turned in their direction, "Rin? Who? Oh, Haku's little friend. Well, hello there, dear! So nice to see you. How can I be of service?"

"Yubaba broke free of Haku's binding spell. Somehow she got to him, and he must be hurt. That's the only way something like this could have happened. She's destroying the bathhouse and if we don't do something soon, she'll kill us! You've got to come as quick as you can. You may be the only one who can stop her!"

"Take a breath, girl! I'm on my way," with a snap of Zeniba's fingers, the connection was broken and the pair were left staring at their own, panic-laden faces.

"Do you think she'll make it in time?" Rin asked.

"We can only hope," the boiler man shook his head doubtfully, "Let's go see if that baby is making any progress."

* * *

><p>"Mama, you're not being very nice at all," Boh pouted at the old woman.<p>

"Sweetie, I'm just trying to get back what is rightfully mine," Yubaba's words were saccharine and forced, "I tried to play nice but scrubbing bath tubs isn't very fun. Do you really want your poor old mother to be slaving on her hands and knees for the rest of her life?"

The baby thought for a minute, "No... I don't guess so."

"Well, this is the only way that I can stop that from happening, do you understand?"

"But, I like all the people here, and I like Rin and the silly spider-man," he was still considering her words, "Do you really have to hurt them? I don't want Mister Haku to come back and find all of his friends dead. He probably won't be very happy about that, mama... then he might hurt you."

"_Mister_ Haku isn't coming back, sweetie," Yubaba said through gritted teeth, "He abandoned the bathhouse, never to be heard from again."

"That doesn't sound right..." Boh rubbed his chin, conflicted.

"It's not true, Boh!" Rin shouted, tearing out of the elevator, towards them, "Haku went to find a way to bring Sen back! You remember Sen, don't you?"

"Of course!" the boy cried, happily, "Sen is my best friend ever! If she comes back, do you think she'll want to play with me?"

"I'm sure she'll play with you as much as she can, if Haku is able to bring her back. But we think he might be hurt," the young woman tried hard to retain her composure.

"Oh, no..." Boh turned his attention from Rin, back to the witch, "You don't have anything to do with that, do you, mama?"

"Of course not, sweetie," Yubaba grinned, "Haku is on vacation for a little while, that's all."

"I thought you said he abandoned us?" the child gave a confused look.

"Haku put a binding spell on your mother, that only wears off if he's seriously injured," Rin explained, "Don't let her lie to you, Boh! Haku would have to be close to death for her to be doing the kind of magic she is! Somehow, she found out what he was planning and he's out there somewhere, probably dying or already dead! And she wants the rest of us dead too!"

"Well, there's one of us you won't hurt, right mama?" the baby started towards Yubaba.

"What... what are you doing, sweetie?" her eyes widened in alarm.

"You've been a bad girl, mama. I'm going to take you to your room!" he scooped her up and tossed her over his shoulder, carrying her towards the elevator.

"This isn't over! I'll be back for the lot of you!" the old crone cried, defeated for now.

* * *

><p>"Hello, Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi," the ominous voice rang in Haku's ears, "I am Sukuna-Biko-Na."<p>

The river spirit willed himself to speak, but instead of words, it came only as a thought, "I know of you. You are a powerful deity, aren't you?"

"Depends on who you ask," the foreboding tone dissipated into a twinkling giggle, "I am, indeed. I was called forth by my brothers to heal you."

"Fujin and Raijin? They are your brothers?"

"As we all are brothers and sisters of the earth and spirit world," the god took a deep, relaxed breath, "See, my brother..."

It was not a request, but a command, and suddenly, Haku could open his eyes. He was soaking in a hot spring, which was surrounded by a never ending white void. It was only he, the stones, and water. Across from him, on the other side of the spring, another body broke through the surface. The man was much smaller than Haku, and he greeted him with a wide, silly grin.

"Where are we?" Haku asked, his words filled with worr, "Am... am I dead?"

The dwarf's smile widened, "Not yet, but you are close. Just, relax, breath, and drink this."

He held out a hand and a cup appeared, filled with a cloudy white liquid.

"Sake?" the dragon spirit questioned, "I... don't think I should be drinking. I have things I need to do. Please, if you could just heal me, so I can be on my way... I've got no time to lose."

"Do you trust me, boy?" the deity cocked his head.

Haku hesitated, "Well... yes."

"Good," he raised his arm to toast and another glass of sake appeared in his outstretched hand, "Time doesn't move the same here. Just do as I said... relax, breath, drink, and tell me what's got you in such a rush."

Taking the proffered cup, the young man slumped back onto the stones, struggling to decide where to begin, "I... A dear friend of mine is in trouble, and I must save her before it's too late."

"Hmm," the god raised his eyebrow, skeptically, "Is she really _in trouble_?"

Haku was taken aback by his intuition, "Well... not exactly. She's just... very sad. I need to see her... and I think she wants to see me."

"Ahh, I see," the old man smiled warmly, "It's love."

"Wha- no, it's not like that," the spirit shook his head, "We're good friends, I've known her since she was very young. I saved her from my river and ever since then, I feel like a part of her is still inside me."

"You saved her from your river, you say? Is she a _human_?" he seemed surprised by this revelation, but Haku only nodded, "Well... that is _different_."

"I know, it's entirely unorthodox, but what am I to do? She hates her life in that world, and I hate my life without her in this world. With her being there, it feels as if I have an empty place in my soul. I've waited ten years for a reason to bring her back. I finally have the opportunity, and now I go and get myself killed before I'm even halfway there."

"Why wait so long, if you've both been so miserable?"

"She came to the bathhouse quite frequently, but since the door to the spirit world only seems to open at random, she was never able to come through... but she would stay and talk to me for hours, not even realizing I was there with her," Haku rubbed his forehead, pained by the memories, "She would laugh, and rant, and cry, and scream. I saw every face of her that you could imagine. And I only loved her more for it. She had no friends, she hated every detail of her life... except her parents. She loved her parents more than anything. Then... last week, when she came... she told me they had died. And that she was never coming back there again. She thought she was going crazy, spending so much of her time waiting around for me, not even sure if I was real... so now..."

"You have to find a way to force the door open, and bring her here to this world, where you'll both finally live in happiness," the deity finished for him.

"Right," he drained his sake in one gulp.

"She may not be very happy with you, when you do finally get her here, you realize that?"

"I know... but I'm willing to risk it," Haku nodded definitely.

"Hm, interesting," the god snapped his fingers and Haku's cup refilled itself, "Have another. And tell me, what do you intend to do about your feelings once she is here. After all, what kind of future is there for the union of a human and a spirit?"

"I... haven't thought about it very much," he sipped from his cup and pondered it for a moment, "Honestly, it doesn't matter to me how many years Chihiro lives... I want to be there for her, by her side, for however many more may be left. I'm not sure how I'll live with myself once she's gone, but a matter of days _with_ her would be substantially better than a million eternities _without_ her."

"You warm my heart, brother!" the god cried, joyously, "Fujin and Raijin were right about you, indeed! Now, finish off your sake and be gone with you!"

"What? But..."

"Drink it, boy!"

Haku gulped the last of the liquid down quickly, and in the blink of an eye, the place before him began to fade away.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter 11**_

Zeniba zipped through the clouds, making record time to the bathhouse. She arrived to a disturbing scene. The building was badly damaged, the employees, and even some of the patrons, trying desperately to quench the last of the flames. Lowering herself to the ground slowly, she scanned the area with great concern. She had never understood how her sister and herself had ended up being such very different women. Their lives had been equally privileged, yet it seemed as if Yubaba could never have enough.

She thought back to their youth, thousands of years before. Their childhoods had been spent in constant study, not only of magic, but of all other forms of knowledge. The girls' father had sacrificed much to allow them access to the best tutors, the most prominent of all being the great spirit, Fukurokuju. Being a member of the brotherhood of the Seven Lucky Gods, Fukurokuju was the prestigious god of wisdom and longevity. The girls learned many things from his magical text and both were, themselves, held in high regard by their teacher. However, somewhere along the way, Yubaba had strayed from her teachings. She felt as if the deity was not teaching her enough. He could only offer her lessons, not the wealth or power she so desperately craved.

The young witch continued to grow impatient with her training, until one night, when their lessons were finished, and Fukurokuju had settled into a peaceful slumber. She made her way into his bedchamber and stole away his beloved book, disappearing into the night, without a trace. While it was true that the man had taught them many things from those pages, there were still passages that he had kept hidden from them, for they were still naive and unable to grasp the weight of responsibility that power of such magnitude entailed. The secrets contained inside were not all completely understood, even by Fukurokuju.

When he awoke to find the text missing, he searched high and low, near and far, for any sign of Yubaba. After years of searching, all hope was abandoned, as well as Zeniba's teachings. He left without notice and went into seclusion, leaving the other young girl to fend for herself and continue her lessons alone. Zeniba would not let the turn of events dishearten her. She forged onward in her studies, along the way becoming one of the most powerful sorceresses the spirit world had ever seen.

She could never be sure what Yubaba had been up to all those years, aside from building an empire in the bathhouse, but she was sure it was not for the greater good. Her sister's greed was easy to detect, for she wore it like a medal draped round her neck. Zeniba had never liked to think of herself as the good sister, and Yubaba as the evil one, but after seeing this wretched scene before her, she could think of no better way to express their differences.

Wasting no more time, Zeniba waved her hand above her head, diminishing the fire. The spirits that had stayed all let out a collective sigh of relief, but when they saw Zeniba there behind them, panic filled their eyes once again.

"Oh, don't look at me like that!" the woman scoffed, "Why can no one ever tell me from my sister? We look nothing alike!"

With that, she shot up into the sky, flying to the top window and letting herself in. Boh stood, guarding the main door and Yubaba sat in the middle of the floor, looking positively oppressed. Slowly, she raised her head to see who had entered and visibly paled.

"What are you doing here?" Yubaba groaned.

Zeniba stepped a few feet into the room, "Well, what do you expect. You're causing so much trouble, you should have known that reinforcements would be called."

The vindictive sister stood, tromping towards the other, "Haven't I been through enough here? And now I have to deal with you?!"

"Mama, be nice to Auntie Zeniba," Boh chastised.

"Stay out of this!" Yubaba snapped.

Boh looked hurt and confused. His mother had never spoken to him in such a way and he wasn't quite sure how to deal with it. The baby's lip began to quiver and tears filled his eyes. He began to whimper quietly.

"Oh, now look what you've done," Zeniba rolled her eyes, "You may be angry at the world, sister, but that's no reason to take it out on your own son. He's just trying to keep the peace."

"Enough!" Yubaba shouted, the veins in her forehead popping out in a horrifying manner, "Why should I be concerned with keeping the peace when I get none, myself?! All I ever wanted was taken from me by some little dragon twerp! He stole my business, he stole my money, he stole my power! He even stole the loyalty of my child! And I'm sick of it! I'm sick of crawling around on my hands and knees, serving a master that doesn't even _deserve_ all the things he stole!"

Zeniba darted towards her sister, threateningly, "This is no one's fault but your own! You've never done anything but cause trouble for the majority of your life! You don't deserve any of those things any more than Haku does - less so, even! What happened to you, Yubaba!? What happened to the sister of mine that was tolerant and kind? A scholar and a poet - that's what you once were, don't you remember? Now, you're nothing but a bitter, corrupt, entitled old hag. You're driving away everything you've worked so hard to obtain, including your son! Just look at him!"

Boh sat in front of the door, crying. This was not his usual, earth shattering tantrum. Instead, he let out soft, pained sobs. Yubaba turned to see the damage she had cause, but seemed unfazed.

"You brought him up to believe the world was evil - that there was danger around every corner. Chihiro and Haku showed him the truth, but now, you are showing him that the evil and danger comes from you! The one person he was supposed to trust to keep him safe! Some mother you are!"

"You shut your trap!" Yubaba bellowed, diving at Zeniba, knocking her to the ground.

They tumbled around the floor for a moment, until Zeniba let out a burst of magic, thrusting Yubaba head over heels across the room. She landed on her back near Boh, her breathing strained, sweat beading on her brow. Shakily, she stood and took a defensive stance.

"You may be powerful, Zeniba," her tone was full of malice, "but you will never be as powerful as me! We both know I have the advantage here, and I would just _hate_ to kill my own sister, so why don't you do us both a favor and run while you still can?"

"That book won't protect you forever," Zeniba took a step backwards, readying herself for an attack, "It only works if your own powers do, and as long as you're bound, it's useless."

"Haven't you noticed, dear sister? The bonds wore off quite a while ago," Yubaba raised her hands to gather her power.

"Are you sure about that, _dear sister_?" she raised a mocking eyebrow.

Yubaba chuckled evilly, concentrating her energy to her palms. She threw her hands forward, but to her surprise, nothing happened. Her eyes shot wide, her heartbeat quickening in alarm.

"What- how? How did you know?!" she cried, furiously.

"Oh, we'll just call it women's intuition. Haku's mission is too important to him to fail so easily," Zeniba looked amused, "You were a fool to think otherwise."

"RRRRAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Yubaba raged, violently, throwing her fists in the air and slamming them into the ground with such force that the room shook like an earthquake.

The noise startled Boh so much that his silent sobs turned into loud, wailing, shrieks. Yubaba started and spun around towards the boy, as if she had suddenly come back to herself.

"My poor, sweet baby," Yubaba cooed, "What's the matter, dear?"

Yubaba went to the boy, and tried to console him with a hug, but he swatted her away, "No, mama! Leave me alone! You're a big meanie!"

"Sweetie, mommy is so sorry," the old woman pouted, "I didn't mean for things to get so out of hand, and I certainly didn't mean to be cross with you, my little dumpling."

"If you keep being so mean to all my friends, I'm not going to love you any more!" the gigantic child squalled.

"Oh, please don't be say such rash things, my love," Yubaba looked absolutely crushed by his words, "I know I've made some mistakes, but I'm not a bad person."

"I didn't used to think you were but now I'm not sure," Boh rubbed the tears from his eyes and calmed a bit, "You hurt people, mama. Sen and Mister Haku and Auntie Zeniba never hurt anybody. Mister Haku just made you work, and working isn't bad, or mean, it's just hard sometimes."

"He's right, you know... you've never worked a day in your life until recently. If you'd stop getting in such a tizzy about it, it might do you some good," Zeniba chimed in.

"Keep your big nose out of this!" Yubaba shot back.

"Stop it, mama!" Boh had had enough, "You be nice to them, or else I'll tell Mister Haku to send you away and never, ever let you come back, and I won't miss you one bit!"

Yubaba exhaled roughly, "What do you want from me, sweetie? I'm not happy the way things are. Don't you want your mama to be happy?"

"You weren't happy the way things were before, either. I want you to make the best out of it, whether you like how it is or not. I want you to try to be happy with what you've got, because I don't think you'll ever be happy if you just keep trying to get more power and money. But love can make you happy, if you let it, the way it made Sen and Mister Haku happy. And I love you very much, mama, isn't that enough?"

The witch was speechless, her mouth gapping open, trying to form some semblance of a reply.

"From the mouths of babes," Zeniba stated, plainly.

Yubaba deflated, "Alright, fine... you win. I acquiesce. But I won't like it!"

"Sure you will," Boh smiled triumphantly, "You'll get used to it, mama. And I'll help you!"

The boy scooped his mother up in a bear hug, squeezing her until it felt like her eyes would burst from her head. He sat her down, beaming an infectious smile upon her.

"Well, seems my work here is done," Zeniba cocked her head to the side, "Oh, and I think I'll take this, and return it to its rightful owner."

With a flick of her wrist, a drawer in the desk flew open and a large, tattered tome floated to her hand.

"That belongs to me!" Yubaba rushed to retrieve it.

"Oh, that's right... you _stole_ it, fair and square," Zeniba tossed the book in the air and it vanished.

"You give that back this instant," she stomped the ground, childishly.

"It's going back to Master Fuku, and that's the end of it," the good sister crossed her arms defiantly.

"Mama, if it doesn't belong to you, then let Auntie Zeniba give it back," Boh commanded.

"Errr," Yubaba was losing her last ounce of will to fight, "Fine... I've already learned everything I could from it anyway. It's no longer any use to me."

"Good, that settles it. Now get down there and help clean up the mess you made," Zeniba jabbed a finger towards the door.

Yubaba hesitated.

"Now, mama," ordered the boy.

With a final irritated grumble, the dejected crone tromped towards the exit, "I get no respect around here... no respect at all."

* * *

><p><em>Alrighty, then! Well, I hope everyone is enjoying the little tidbits of historybackstories/mythology, and that you all feel I'm doing justice to the characters. I didn't want to totally vilify Yubaba, but she does have kind of an evil streak, so yea... I'm glad to be able to write a little back-and-forth between the sisters. Thanks so much for reading! I have close to 500 hits on the story, so I guess, even though I haven't got many reviews, people like it enough to read it all the way through, at least! So, again, thanks for that, and another special thanks to those that have taken the time to review, favorite, and follow the story! You're the best! Can't wait to give you guys more!_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chapter 12**_

"Yu-bird... Yu-bird, wake up," Chihiro poked the animal gently, trying to rouse it from its deep slumber, "You've been asleep all day. I need to ask you something."

The bird lifted its head groggily, its beady eyes barely opening. It shivered a bit, as if to shake the sleep off, but lowered its head back down again, ignoring the girl.

"Get up, you silly bird!" Chihiro nudged harder, "It's after midnight! You're the laziest animal I've ever seen."

Yu-bird perked its head up, cawing in an insulted tone. After a minute, it shook itself again and stood, letting out a yawn. It peered at her, tilting its head to the side, questioningly.

"Are you ready to listen now?" the girl asked, and the bird replied with a nod, "Alright, good... I have a question about Haku."

She waited for a response, but when the bird stayed quite, she decided to continue, "Why does he want to bring me back?"

The animal looked puzzled, probably trying to work out how to answer a question that wasn't exactly a yes or no. Chihiro plucked her laptop from the coffee table, opening it and sitting it in front of Yu-bird.

"Okay, go on," the young woman encouraged.

The fowl hopped towards the device and began pecking. She waited, resisting the urge to look until it was finished. The whole process seemed to drag on relentlessly. Chihiro stood and went to the kitchen, fixing herself a cup of hot tea to calm her nerves. From the other room, she heard a loud "CAW!". She rushed back to her place in front of the chair, excitedly, tilting the computer towards herself to read.

_haku is very lonely since sen left. haku runs bathhouse now but so much work makes master tired. needs sen to come back so he will be happy again. he loves sen very much. does not want to live without her any more._

"Is that all true, Yu-bird?" Chihiro asked in disbelief, "He... he loves me?"

"Caw!" the bird squawked, seemingly saying 'of course!'

"I... but..." she shook her head sadly, "How will it even work? I'm just a human."

The bird began to type again, quicker this time.

_master does not care. he will find a way._

The girl sighed, "I hope you're right, Yu-bird... but, still..."

She turned her gaze to the nearly complete gown sitting on her desk chair. At present, it was only lacking a zipper in the back and hemming along the bottom. She had thought the project would take her far longer, but with no job to go to she had breezed through it. Soon, she'd have nothing to keep her mind off of all the things that caused her unease in regard to returning to the spirit world.

"I think I'll go shopping tomorrow," Chihiro decided, "You can go with me if you want, but I doubt they'll let you in the stores."

"Caw!" Yu-bird chirped happily.

"You're right, a little fresh air will do us both some good," she smiled at the creature and gave it an affectionate scratch, "It's a plan then. Let's get you something to eat. Then, I think I'll go to bed."

"Caw, caw," protested the fowl.

"It's not my fault you slept so long," the girl smirked, "You'll just have to find a way to keep yourself occupied."

"Caw, caw!" Yu-bird insisted.

"Fine, I'll stay up a little while longer, but I really do need to sleep soon," with that, she yawned, "You're like a baby, with your days and nights mixed up. Always wanting midnight feedings. At least your giving me practice for if I ever become a mother."

She laughed lightly, and even the bird seemed to snicker a bit. However, the thought inadvertently brought on a wave of sadness. She had never really considered the possibility of having to sacrifice that part of her future, for a chance to be with the one she loved.

_How can I be sure if I'll ever get that chance?_ she thought, not daring to voice her concern to the animal, _And if I do, will it be worth that kind of sacrifice?_

Yu-bird couldn't help but notice the girl's sudden change in demeanor. Scuttling closer, it nuzzled into her shoulder. She returned the gesture with a warm embrace.

"Alright, that's enough gloom and doom for tonight," Chihiro pushed herself off the floor, "Let's go fill that belly of yours, huh?"

Her feathered friend squeaked happily and followed her towards the kitchen.

* * *

><p>"<em>Haku...<em>" a delicate, feminine voice called to him in the darkness, "_This way..._"

He felt himself being pulled forward by an irresistible force. Ahead of him, a light appeared, and as he drew closer, he could make out a familiar body silhouetted there.

She beckoned him onward, "_You're almost there, don't give up..._"

Her ghostly voice sent shivers down his back, but he forged on, "I'm coming, Chihiro. I won't let you down again."

"_I know... I'm waiting for you..._"

Just as he was about to reach out and grasp the shadow's hand, he was jolted awake. He sat up abruptly, taking in his surroundings. It was the same clearing in which he had lost consciousness, and behind him he saw the charred corpse of the serpent-girl.

"You must be off with haste," a voice boomed from above, "The demon will not stay dormant for long, and she will return with a vengeance."

Looming over him were the two spirits that had saved him, Fujin and Raijin. Their combined statures were imposing, to say the least, but their demeanors were friendly.

"We are glad to see you back among the living," Raijin added, "But my brother is right. You must continue on your journey. Dawn is approaching. Linger here not a moment longer."

"Thank you, both," Haku said, standing and bowing respectfully to the two deities, "Please, give your brother my thanks as well."

"The path ahead of you is a dangerous one. Fly like the wind and be wary of where you take your rest," Fujin knelt down and held out his monstrous hand, "Take his talisman. It will ward off any evil that may befall you."

The necklace fell from the god's hand, landing at Haku's feet. Retrieving it, he draped the chain around his neck, studying the charm that hung there.

"Thank you again, my friends," he gave another bow, then shifted into his dragon form.

"Goodbye, young dragon. May you find peace at the end of your path," Raijin bowed, his brother following suit.

The dragon gave them one final nod and flew off into the sky. As he drifted through the clouds, he reflected back on the vision he had experienced before coming back to himself. Chihiro had been the one to guide him back to life the last time he'd been close to losing it. Did she comprehend the amount of power she had over his very soul? Did _he? _

He resolved to continue on, no matter how tired he became, until he reached his destination. He would have no more slip ups, no more close calls. There was too much to lose, and so very much to gain. Sleep could come later, but until then there would be nothing but the sky in front of him, the trees below him, and Chihiro forever at the forefront of his mind.

* * *

><p><em>Sorry for the short chapter, but I wanted to end it here, since I probably won't be doing much more writing tonight, or probably tomorrow either. So it may be a couple of days before the next chapter is up... or maybe not, who knows? Anyway, thanks again for everything, people! Hope everyone has a great week! <em>


	13. Chapter 13

_**Chapter 13**_

Chihiro woke the next day, well into the afternoon. She twisted under the covers, stretching wide, and poking her head out to look at the time. It was nearly one o'clock, but the girl was hardly ready to face the day. She groaned and threw the covers back, slinging her legs over the edge of the bed to stand.

"Come on, Yu," she said sleepily, "Time to get up. We've got shopping to do."

However, when she turned to jostle the bird awake, it wasn't there. She knit her brow in confusion, but shrugged and started out of the bedroom. Her first stop, as always, was the coffee maker. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, scanning the room for the animal. At first, she could still see no trace of it, but once her eyes focused, she could just make out the faint shape of a crow illuminated by the glow from her laptop, which still sat where she left it, on the chair in the living room.

"What is that bird up to?" Chihiro mused, quietly.

When her cup was done brewing, she sauntered into the living room to join her friend. She sat on the arm of the chair and peered over the bird. When she saw what it was looking at, she could hardly contain herself. The creature had managed to pull up the internet search engine and was so engrossed at the pictures it had found of "pretty birds" that it hadn't noticed the girl's presence.

"You're being a naughty bird, I see," she let go into an uproar of giggles.

Startled and dismayed, the bird gave a loud squawk and spread its wings, attempting to cover the screen from the girl's view. Her chuckles turned to great spasms of laughter, almost causing her to fall from her perch.

"Come on, Yu-bird," she gasped through her fit, "Let's get ready. Close out that window, and make sure you delete the history."

The animal, looking slightly stupefied, gave another disgruntled caw. Ignoring the befuddled fowl, Chihiro made her way into the bathroom to brush her teeth and hair, readying herself for their outing. She studied herself in the mirror, the girl she saw there not much different than the one she'd always seen. She had never been the "pretty girl", so to speak, more plain than anything. Makeup was something she hadn't ever had the desire to bother with, but now, considering the special event upcoming in her life, she was beginning to reconsider. She washed her face quickly and pulled her hair back into her standard pony tail. Turning her head to the side, she assessed her profile. Aside from turning a shade or two darker as she aged, plus some added length, her hair hadn't changed much either.

_Maybe I should do something about that while I'm out,_ she pondered as she finished up her task and went to join Yu-bird back in the living room.

"Are you ready?" she asked upon her entrance.

"Caw!"

"Okay, then, lets go," she picked up her keys and bag, heading towards the door, the animal close behind.

They drove to town in silence, the only sound between them being the music drifting from the car speakers. There were so many questions that Chihiro would have liked to ask the fowl, but most of them were much more complicated than a simple yes or no. Besides that, she just couldn't quite work up the nerve, afraid of what kind of answers she might receive. When they finally reached the shopping district, Chihiro parked the car at the end of the street. They got out and started the trek towards the stores.

"Why don't you go make some friends while I run my errands?" she suggested to the animal, "I'm sure there are a lot of _pretty birds_ around here."

Yu-bird flew off in a huff, causing Chihiro to snort in amusement. She reached the first store she had planned to visit, a place specializing in antiques, and stepped inside, the bell chiming as she entered.

"Welcome!" came a feminine voice from the back.

"Hello," she returned.

"Nice weather we're having, huh?" the saleslady continued, "Especially after all that rain."

"It sure is," Chihiro replied, beginning to scan the shelves and cases for something that caught her eye.

She approached the main counter, gazing into the display, and the woman walked over with a warm smile, "Looking for anything special today?"

The girl returned the smile with a nod, "Yea, I'm looking for something for a friend of mine. A gift for when I see her again."

"Oh, been a long time?"

"Very long," she said seriously.

"Tell me a little about your friend. Maybe that will help me find something for you," the woman offered.

"Well, she's a little older than me and has had sort of a hard life. She takes care of others but doesn't take the time to focus on herself very often," Chihiro explained, fond memories of Rin swimming through her mind.

"Hmm... so maybe something that will remind her that she's just as important and worthy of luxury as everyone else?" the woman grinned knowingly.

"That sounds right," she agreed.

"So, what's your price range?"

"Money is no object," Chihiro assured her.

"I like the sound of that!" the saleslady chuckled, "I think I have just the thing. Be right back."

Chihiro only had to wait a minute before the woman returned to her, holding an ornate wooden box with a fancy bronze clasp. Gently, she laid the case down and undid the catch. The interior was lined with a deep purple velvet material, and laying neatly in the middle was a gilded, silver brush and mirror set. Chihiro touched the smooth, cool handle of the mirror, eyes gleaming in adoration.

"You like it?" asked the woman.

"It's perfect," Chihiro whispered, still in awe of it.

"It comes with the case, but it is quite pricey," the saleslady warned, "We do offer free gift wrapping, though."

"I don't care how much it costs, I'll take it."

"Great! Would you like it wrapped?"

"Yes, please, ma'am. And thank you."

"I'm just glad I could help! Excuse me, I'll just be a moment," the woman took the box and glided off towards the back room.

Soon, Chihiro had her first package in hand and was moving on to the next store. She had dropped quite a pretty penny on Rin's gift, but she reminded herself that soon she'd be in a place where her earthy money would be of no consequence. The next establishment had an array of vintage finery, from jewelry to clothing. It was her intention to find something for Haku in the realm of new robes, so that he could have a change from his usual attire, but it occurred to her, as she perused the hanging racks, that she had no idea what size he wore, or if he was even still the same size he once had been.

_This won't do,_ Chihiro thought, at a loss for another idea.

Exiting the place, she resolved to visit the salon before she went anywhere else, hoping the break would give her time to think up the perfect gift for him. The salon was all the way at the other end of the street, so Chihiro took the walk slowly, inspecting the window displays as she strolled, but seeing nothing that struck her fancy. She was greeted by four ladies, all in unison, when she passed through the salon doors.

"Hello," she replied, suddenly feeling very unsure of herself.

"Welcome! I'm Miyako. What can I help you with today?" the only one that was not busy with a guest approached her.

She was a tall, dark-haired girl, with pale skin, that looked about Rin's age, and Chihiro couldn't help but admire the girl's beauty and confident poise.

"I... I'd like to do something with my hair, but I'm not sure what," Chihiro stammered, "It's been the same for so long, I feel like I need a change."

"Important event coming up?" the girl smiled cordially.

"You could say that," she shrugged.

"I can help you out, follow me," the raven-haired beautician waved her over to a seat.

Chihiro complied, but could feel the urge to fidget overwhelming her. She balled her hands into tight fists, her nails stabbing into her palms.

"Don't be so nervous, hun," the woman gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze, "I've been doing this for years. You can trust me, I won't do anything you're not one-hundred percent comfortable with."

"Okay," she replied by was still quivering with anxiety, "Wh-what would you suggest?"

"Well, lets take your hair down first, huh?" the hairdresser pulled the glittering band from Chihiro's ponytail and slipped it around her wrist, "You've got beautiful hair. It's so thick."

"Can I take that please?" Chihiro asked, holding her hand up for the band.

"Oh, this? Yea, here you go," the girl slipped the holder off and handed it to the girl, "Good thing you asked me, I always forget to return those things."

_That's what I was afraid of,_ Chihiro thought, but kept quiet.

"How about some layers?" the woman suggested, "You'd look great with a side sweep and maybe a little color, to bring out your eyes."

"That could be okay, I guess. Just don't take much length, okay?"

"Don't worry, I think your length is great! I'm a long hair advocate, myself. I hate to chop off a good thing," the girl giggled and Chihiro couldn't help but smile at her chipper demeanor, but when the she saw her pick up the scissors and comb, her heart dropped into her stomach, "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

She must have noticed the color leaving Chihiro's face, "I-uh... yes, ma'am."

"No need to call me ma'am! I'm not that old. Please, call me Miya," she chuckled again, running the comb through the other girl's locks, "Alright, let's get started."

* * *

><p>With the help of Zeniba's magic, rectifying the bathhouse damages took only a few hours, but thanks to Yubaba's tantrum, they had lost a whole night's income and there were whispers among some of the employees that many of the guests had said they wouldn't be returning.<p>

"Haku isn't going to be happy about this," Rin sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose in distress.

"I tell you, this is his fault for leaving like he did," now that the crisis was averted, Kamaji was perched upon his workspace in the boiler room, back to his usual bellyaching, "When he took over, he knew there would be responsibilities."

"Kamaji, Haku didn't go on vacation. Weren't you listening when I told Boh earlier?" the woman was beginning to lose her patience, "He went to find a way to force the door to the spirit world open so he can bring Sen back."

"Well! That's a whole different matter, entirely!" the old man gave a toothy grin, "It's about time that girl showed her face here again. We could use a little sunshine in this dreary old place!"

"What am I, chopped liver?" Rin quipped, flatly.

"More like a pesky rain cloud, most days," he shot back, "So, where's he gone off to, then?"

"I'm not supposed to say. I wasn't even supposed to tell anyone what he's really doing, but I didn't have much of a choice."

"What's the plan now? How're you going to deal with Yubaba until he gets back?"

"She's mostly docile at the moment. We'll see how long that lasts, but Zeniba has agreed to stay until Haku returns, in case anything else like that happens," stretching to a stand, she started towards the sliding door, "I'm going to get some shut eye. Let's hope we didn't lose too many customers in all that hullabaloo."

She crouched down and crawled through the small space, waving to Kamaji as she closed the door behind her. The old man settled into his spot, thinking back on what Rin had just revealed to him. He was glad to know the dragon spirit was taking measures to reclaim the girl he'd lost, but he still couldn't help but worry for them as well. Love had a way of being more complicated than one anticipated... much more so than any storybook would like to admit. As he drifted into slumber, he sent out a prayer that the two lovers could find the balance they would need to live the life they both deserved.

* * *

><p><em>Well, what do you know... I was able to finish another chapter, much sooner than I thought! That scene with Yu-bird and the computer might not be exactly true to Ghibli form, but when I thought of it, I decided it was too funny not to add, even at the cost of being a little AUOC-ish, or whatever you wanna call it. Also, I realized when I was thinking about where this was headed, that this could end up being a super-long story, because, though I do have an ending in mind, I have a looooot of filler in between, so who knows how many more chapters we've got ahead of us? So, I hope you all are ready to be in it for the long haul! *wink wink* Thank you again to my kind reviewers, especially to the "Guest" that posted such a sweet, heartwarming review earlier today. Seriously, you hit me right in the feels with your sentiments and since I can't send you a PM to thank you, I thought I'd say something here, so hopefully you will see it. Anyway, I'm shutting up now... Until next time! Much love!_


	14. Chapter 14

_**Chapter 14**_

As the sun once again began to fall behind the earth, Haku found himself finally nearing his destination. His exhaustion was catching up with him, as well as the hunger pangs creeping into his stomach. With such a short way to go, he was determined not to stop again, but the aching in his abdomen proved to be too much to endure. He spotted a mountain range a few miles ahead, reasoning that he would be safe from danger if he remained at a high altitude. Descending down towards the rocky terrain, he converted back to his true form and immediately took a seat on the ground. Wearily, he dropped his head between his knees, attempting to catch his breath.

He still had four days to complete his task and ensure Chihiro's return. Darkness was falling rapidly, reminding the spirit that his rest needed to be a short one. He magicked himself a fire and a plate of food, eating as quickly as possible. When he was finished with his meal, he felt his eyelids begin to droop. He shook his, trying to jar the sleep from his brain. A yawn escaped him, as he slumped to the ground, unwittingly collapsing into sleep.

When he came to in the dream world, he was shrouded in darkness.

"I see you've almost reached your destination, Kohaku," the voice was one he didn't recognize.

"Who are you?"

"I am the one you seek."

"Fate?" Haku inquired, doubtfully.

Light began to fill his vision, and he found himself in an office room, much like his own. The artifacts adorning the walls and the antiques sprinkled about were his only indication that it was not the place he knew so well. At the desk sat a distinguished looking gentleman, his elbows resting on the arms of his brown leather desk chair, his fingers steepled in front of him. He brought a hand to his short, salt-and-pepper beard and stroked it pensively.

"You've heard of me, then?" Haku assumed he was joking, and though the man showed no sign of amusement, he caught a hint of mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"You already know the answer to that," the dragon spirit tried to choose his words wisely, unsure of the reason behind this intrusion into his dreams, "but how did you know I was searching for you?"

"Let me assure you, my reputation does not proceed me. Why do you think they call me 'Fate', boy? I know all that is and all that shall be..." he cleared his throat, "Let me reiterate. I know all that _should_ be."

"And the things that shouldn't be?" Haku challenged.

"I do everything in my power to keep them from happening," the man replied, certainly.

"So, that's why you're here."

"You're a smart one to catch on so quickly," the older man sat forward in his chair, resting his elbows on the desk, "I'll get to the point, then. I'm going to need you to abandon this little mission of yours. Humans don't belong in the spirit world, no matter the reason."

"You can't ask me to do that," Haku's features were set with determination, "I won't do it."

"If you continue on, you won't like what I have in store for you, son," the being warned, "And you won't like what I have to tell you about your future."

"I don't want to know about my future," the young spirit crossed his arms defensively, "The only thing I care about is finding you and convincing you to help me."

"Well, I was going to wait, as to hopefully avoid the conversation altogether," Fate leaned back into his chair and crossed his legs, "But I can see you won't be swayed any other way..."

The man stood and walked around the desk, approaching Haku with a foreboding expression. He came to stand only a foot in front of the younger spirit, crossing his arms to mimic the boy.

"If you continue on this fools errand, you _will_ succeed, and I _will_ bring Chihiro back... at which point you will have five _brief_ years. You will marry only a short time after her return... about a year later... But in the fourth year, you will receive the best, and worst, news of your life," he stepped closer, threateningly.

"Stop it! I don't want to hear this!" Haku bellowed, his arms falling to his sides, fists clenched tight, the urge to strike barely contained.

"You can't stop me, boy," the man smirked, "Even if you want to, this is a dream. You can't hurt me."

"I can try!" the dragon spirit flew at the man with all his might.

But he was stopped short, unable to even budge, Fate grasping his wrists and holding him still.

"She will _die_ in childbirth!" he shouted, inches from Haku's face, "Her human body will not be able to contain the essence of the spirit within! You will lose her, in the blink of an eye! Is all of this effort worth that small attainment?! Is it worth the woman you love capitulating to an early end?!"

"You can change that! Make her a spirit! Make me a human! Something, _anything_!" Haku begged, his eyes stinging with tears he struggled to reject.

"I can't! We all have our limits, and that is beyond my power! Stop struggling, son, you'll waste your rest and wake more exhausted than you were before!" the man released him and the boy slunk to the ground, his tears pouring out in full force.

"Why did you have to tell me?" Haku buried his face in his hands.

"It's not often that I allow anyone a glimpse of their future," Fate rested back against the desk, spent by the entanglement, "You should be grateful... though people rarely are. That's one thing spirits and humans have in common, you know... willful ignorance. You'd rather be blind to your faults and mistakes than learn to better yourselves because of them."

Haku scoffed, "You've never met Chihiro, so I can forgive you for that assumption."

"Actually, I've never met her, but I know her better than you do, and you're right about that," his voice filled with what could have been affection, "She's a different breed, that one. That's why I allowed her to enter the door the first time. I could have shut it in her face, but I knew the experience would do her good. Little did I know the effect that meeting you again would have on the poor girl's soul."

"I thought you knew everything," the dragon boy retorted, smugly.

"No, I said I knew all that is and all that should be," he corrected, "There are things that are hidden to me, from time to time. She was not supposed to fall in love with you, but the bond you created with her when you saved her life was stronger than I anticipated. Trying to keep you two apart has been quite the thorn in my side. You almost broke through the veil, yourself, several times. She could hear you quite frequently, and even felt you a time or two. I've only seen a bond that strong a handful of times in my existence... and I've existed since the beginning."

"I don't want her to die so soon," Haku lamented, pushing himself up to stand, "There has to be a way to save her."

"I wish I could offer some solace, I really do," Fate sympathized, "You know, they say that 'fate is a cruel mistress'... I resent that. I'm actually quite a kind master. In actuality, I'm nothing more than a seer, a prophet, if you will. I only act when the winds of change are misdirected. I have every living beings' best interests at heart."

"I can't give up," the young spirit decided, "I _will_ find you. I _will_ bring Chihiro home. And I **_will_** find a way to save her from her fate."

The older man gave a heavy sigh, "I don't think that's a good idea, son... and I can't technically stop you... but I can keep you here until you change your mind."

"What?" Haku's eye widened in alarm, "Trap me in my own dream?"

"Don't say it with such disdain," the man turned his back on the dragon spirit, "I'm doing you a favor, and you'll realize it soon enough."

"You can't do this! I'll break free! I'll-" Fate, and the room around them, disappeared in an instant.

Haku was, once again, blanketed by a void of nothingness. He spun around, searching in every direction for the other man. Dread permeated his very core. How long would he be stuck here? Would he break free in time to make it back to Chihiro? Would he break free at all? His heart pounded in his ears and his breathing hastened. This must be what it felt like when a human had a panic attack, he realized. He shut his eyes tight, visualizing her face in his mind. He hoped that if he kept her there, it would help him retain his sanity.

_This isn't over Chihiro. He can't keep me locked away from you forever._

* * *

><p>"Ready to see the finished product?"<p>

Chihiro nodded enthusiastically, beginning to feel a bit of excitement mingling with her apprehension. Her hair still seemed to be its normal length, but at the same time, it felt lighter. She could she a hint of dark peaking over her shoulder, the color shimmering in the florescent lighting. Without further notice, the beautician spun the chair around and Chihiro caught her reflection in the mirror. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight. Choppy, dark chocolate colored layers framed her face. The tone hadn't changed much, it was just a touch deeper and more dimensional. The style was what really shocked her. It was possibly the first time in her life she thought she really looked like the mature woman she'd become, and not the childlike girl she'd clung to for so long.

"Wow..." it was the only word she could manage.

"You hate it?" the woman said, disappointment clouding her face.

"No, not at all," Chihiro blinked rapidly, trying to convince herself that what she saw was real, "It's... I love it."

"Oh, yay!" the hairdresser clapped giddily, "Hey, with new hair this awesome, I think you deserve a new face too. How about a makeover, on the house!"

"Okay," the girl agreed, hesitantly, "Just... nothing too extreme."

"You don't wear a lot of makeup, huh? Don't worry, we'll go natural. You won't even know you have anything on."

The beautician pulled out her tools and began the process. In no time, the task was complete, and once again, Chihiro was in awe. The woman was right, the change was subtle, but striking. Her eyes stood out just a bit more and her lips shone with a peachy gloss. Chihiro dared to think she actually looked quite beautiful. She thanked the woman immensely, and left the salon feeling like a new person entirely. Passing the windows of the stores, she kept catching glimpses of herself, hardly recognizing the woman walking beside her.

During her metamorphosis, she had decided the best idea in regard to finding something perfect for Haku would be to revisit the woman who had been so helpful with Rin's gift. She made her way to the store, and entered, hearing the woman call from the back.

"Welcome! I'll be with you in just a moment!" came the friendly voice.

Chihiro went to the counter and waited. A moment later, the woman came bouncing out from the back room.

"Hello, again," Chihiro greeted her, "I was in here earlier and bought a gift for a friend of mine. I was hoping you could help me out again."

The woman's eyes went wide, "Oh, my! I almost didn't recognize you! Welcome back, dear. You look lovely!"

"Thank you, ma'am," the girl smiled, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment, "I made a visit to the salon. I think the girl may have been a miracle worker."

"Which one was it? No, let me guess - Miya?" Chihiro nodded in reply, "I knew it! That girl knows her stuff. She's been doing my hair for years now! I just love her! Now, what can I help you with, hun?"

"I have another friend I'd like to find something for," Chihiro began, "I'm having a reunion of sorts in a few days, with a lot of friends I haven't seen in a very long time, and, well... this particular friend is very important to me."

"A boyfriend, perhaps?" the woman teased, genially.

"Well, not exactly," she felt heat rush to her cheeks, and hoped her blush wasn't too evident.

"Not yet, anyway," the saleslady winked, playfully, "Let's try like we did before. Tell me a little about this gentleman."

"Umm..." Chihiro searched for a way to describe Haku that didn't include the words 'powerful dragon spirit', "He's kind, and thoughtful. Hardworking, loyal... smart."

"What kind of things does he like?"

The girl thought for a moment, suddenly aware of how little she really knew about the spirit boy, "I'm... not really sure."

"Okay, well..." the woman pursed her lips, "How do you _feel_ about him?"

"I love him," Chihiro blurted without thinking, and instantly regretted her honesty, "I mean... I care about him very much. He saved my life more than once, literally. I honestly don't know how I could ever repay him... which is why I wanted to find something that could show him."

"Does he know all that?"

"No... I never really got a chance to tell him before we were separated," the girl hung her head sadly.

"Well, then, I think you've found the perfect gift."

Chihiro gave a puzzled look, "I have?"

"I think the best gift he could ever receive from you would be for you to tell him all that. If you're getting another chance to be together, then pour your heart and soul out to him. Life is too short not to tell those we love exactly how we feel, don't you think?"

The woman's words were wise and true, and Chihiro felt her lip begin to quiver at the idea.

"Yes, I think so," she whispered, "Thank you so much."

"Any time, hun," the woman beamed, "Now go on, take some time to mull over what I said and when you finally see him again, you'll know I'm right."


	15. Chapter 15

_**Chapter 15**_

By the time Chihiro finished her conversation with the woman, purchased a few more gifts for some of her other friends, and located Yu-bird, darkness was beginning to fall. As they drove back to the apartment building, the girl felt a wave of exhaustion rush over her. It was all she could do just to steer them home without passing out behind the wheel. Yu-bird chirped at Chihiro every now and then, concerned by the girl's weary disposition. When they arrived, she slumped against the door as she unlocked it and when it opened, she scarcely stopped herself from tumbling to the carpet.

"Caw, caw!" the bird cried in alarm.

"I'm okay, Yu..." Chihiro mumbled, staggering to the oversized chair in the living room and sinking into it, "I... just need... to sleep..."

As the girl's eyes drifted closed, Yu-bird plucked a throw blanket from the chair's arm, and covered her up, giving her cheek a gentle nuzzle to say goodnight.

"_Chihiro..._" instantly, she recognize the voice, faintly calling to her in the darkness.

She could just barely make out a corridor surrounding her. At the end, a light shown, and she was sure that was where the voice came from.

"_Chihiro..._" it called again.

She started towards the sound, walking slowly at first, but picking up speed as she got closer, until she was in a full on sprint.

"_I don't want to lose you..._" the voice was getting louder now.

"I'm coming, Haku!" she shouted into the void.

"_Chihiro?!_" he implored as if he had heard her, "_Are you really there?_"

"Yes!" Chihiro cried, speeding forward as fast as her legs could carry her, "I'm right here!"

"_Don't go towards the light! Turn around!_" his tone was insistent and panicked.

She stopped in her tracks and spun on her heels. He was there, standing just a few feet behind her, illuminated by an etherial glow. She took a cautious step forward, examining him closely. He looked so much different, older by many years, and wiser by decades, but she was sure it was him.

"Haku?" she breathed, but reminded herself, "This is just a dream..."

"It is, but I'm really here," he approached her, reaching for her hand and grasping it tightly, "I'm stuck here Chihiro. But, I called to you and you came. It's not just a vision this time."

"What do you mean? I don't understand."

"On my journey to find a way to bring you back, I was attacked by a demon and nearly killed, but with the help of a benevolent deity, I was resurrected... but not before you led me out of my comatose state, as you had once before. And now," he sighed, gaze dropping to their entwined fingers, "A powerful spirit has me trapped inside the dream world, attempting to keep me from finishing my quest."

"Why would this spirit want to stop you?" Chihiro inquired.

"He says that humans don't belong in the spirit world... and normally, I would agree... however, I can't help but feel like these circumstances are a bit different," he lifted his gaze to her eyes, searching for any sign that she might feel the same.

"Oh, Haku!" she sprung forward, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist, nestling her face into his neck, "I've missed you so much."

"I missed you too, Chihiro," he returned the embrace, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head.

They stayed that way for several moments, relishing the closeness that they had both been craving for so long. Chihiro was the first to pull back, but just enough to glimpse his face.

"We have to find a way to break you out of here," she said, "I'll help you."

"Chihiro," he brought a hand up to caress her cheek, "The one I'm searching for, the spirit that trapped me here... he told me something about us. Something bad, about our future."

"I don't want to know. Whatever it is, we'll find a way to overcome it once we're together again," she stepped back and took his hand in hers, pulling him forward to follow her, "Come on, let's find a way out."

"I don't think it will be that simple," he hesitated.

She glanced back at him with a smile that melted his heart, "When has anything we've ever attempted been simple?"

With those words, he understood that he would follow this brave woman that stood before him anywhere she dared to go. Through any storm, any torment, any pain or pleasure that might befall them, he would stand by her side. Not that he had ever doubted it before, but in that moment, he knew down to the very depths of his soul. She started off into the darkness, and he followed... knowing that not only was she safe with him, but he was safe with her, as well.

* * *

><p>"Where is he?!" Rin cried in a huff, "He said it would only take him a few days... that he would be back in plenty of time. I can't deal with all of this. I'm going to rip my hair out!"<p>

"Breathe, girl," Zeniba commanded, "I'm sure he'll be back soon. A journey such as his takes time."

"I didn't sign up for this kind of responsibility! All these questions and problems and complaints! I don't understand how he stays so calm all the time. It's infuriating!" the woman grabbed at her long locks and gave them a yank.

"Would you please just sit down," the witch gave a flick of her wrist, sending Rin flying back into a chair and freezing her there, "You're making me nervous, pacing like that."

"You're nervous?!" Rin struggled against the magical bonds, "How do you think I feel?"

"Well, would it put you at ease if I went out to locate the boy?" Zeniba offered.

"I need you here to keep Yubaba in line," the woman laid back into the chair, giving up her struggle, "Besides, we don't know where he went, just who he went looking for."

"_She_ knows," Zeniba pointed out, "And the spell that I zapped my sister with will hold permanently, not matter what happens to me, so you won't have to worry about her."

"After all we've put her through, she's not going to tell us squat," Rin scoffed.

"Oh, don't worry, I can make her talk," the old woman smirked, "And if I can't, Boh can."

The younger woman let out a hearty laugh, "I don't know what we'd do without that big ol' piece of leverage."

"Leverage or not, he's still my nephew, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk about him as if he's nothing more than a bartering chip," Zeniba chastised.

"Sorry," Rin apologized half-heartedly.

The woman waved her off, at the same time breaking the girl's bonds, and trotted out of the office to speak with her twin. She found Yubaba down in the boiler room, hefting coal with the soot sprites, as punishment for reeking such havoc the previous day.

"Be careful where you step, woman!" she heard Kamaji bellow as she walked through the door, "You smash one more of my workers, and I swear I'll-"

"Shut your hole, old man!" Yubaba shot back, "It was an accident. If they wouldn't crowd me so, this wouldn't keep happening!"

The little black spot of dust quivered and popped up, shaking itself off and continuing on with its task, unfazed.

"See, the little dirt clod is fine," the woman huffed, tossing her lump of coal into the fire.

Zeniba stood back and watched the exchange with a highly amused expression, "I see the two of you are getting along famously."

"Zeniba!" Kamaji called with a frustrated tone, "What did I do to deserve this, huh? You're supposed to be punishing her, not me!"

"I knew you'd give her a run for her money," the good witch smirked, "Besides, I'm about to offer her an out, if she'll cooperate."

"What are you on about?" Yubaba eyed her twin suspiciously.

"I'd like to strike a deal with you. I'll put you in a more desirable position, and you'll tell me where Haku has run off to," Zeniba offered.

The 'evil' sister snorted with laughter, "Why should I trust you? Once I give you the information you'll probably just leave me here, or worse."

"You forget, sister, I'm not like you. I honor my deals. So, come on, out with it."

"I've never broken a deal in my life," Yubaba was obviously offended by that assumption, "But I'm not telling you anything, either."

"Accounting," Zeniba said plainly, "That's what I'm offering. No more hefting, no more scrubbing. You'll have your hands in the cookie jar once again."

Yubaba's eyes grew wide, shimmering with glee, but she bit back her excitement, "Forget it. I'll be demoted as soon as Haku returns... _if _he returns."

"You let me worry about him," Zeniba narrowed her eyes, "And if you're still unsure, I bet Boh would _love_ to talk to you about it."

"Leave him out of this!" the old woman shouted, "You've played that card one too many times already."

"I won't bother him... _if_ you agree to the deal."

"Fine! I'll tell you!" Yubaba grumbled, "He's headed to the Caverns of Affliction, past the Wicked Wood, on the other side of the Mourning Mountains. If he's made good time, then he shouldn't be far from reaching the caverns now. Satisfied?"

"Not entirely," Zeniba's mind filled with worry, "You've sent him on a fool's errand, you realize?"

Yubaba shrugged, "He's always had a death wish, that one. I warned him it would be dangerous... just not the _extent_ of the danger..."

"No wonder you were so sure he wouldn't return," the woman shook her head, "I'm going to look for him, make sure he hasn't met an early demise. And if he has, _I_ will talk to Fate, and _I_ will bring Chihiro back... then you'll have to answer to _her_."

"Fine! Just get me out of this stinking hole!" the other witch stamped towards the door, "I'll take the wrath of a skinny twerp over the miserable complaining of this old coot any day!"

"Who're you calling an old coot?!" Kamaji called after her, "The only one of those I see here is walking out my door!"

"A door which I never plan to darken again!"

"Good riddance!" the boiler man snarled, shooting the woman's back a disrespectful gesture as she slammed the heavy door in her wake.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Chapter 16**_

Haku and Chihiro had been walking for what seemed like hours, yet they were getting nowhere. He refused to let go of her hand, not even for a moment, afraid that if he broke their physical connection, she may fade away from him and he really would be lost for good.

"Maybe we're missing something," Chihiro suggested, quietly.

"There are no doors, no windows, nothing..." Haku let out a defeated sigh, "What could it be that we're not considering?"

"Well, were inside your mind, right? So, ultimately, you've got the control here," she pointed out, "You just have to believe you do."

He cocked his head and furrowed his brow, considering her words, "You may be onto something."

"Try it... _Believe_ that there's a way out," Chihiro took his other hand and closed her eyes, "Just close your eyes, and concentrate."

He followed her lead, delving deep into his essence, pulling his powers forth. He focused on the feel of her hands wrapped in his, using the strength she was transferring to him to bolster the energy even more. A harsh wind whipped around the pair, and Haku could feel the atmosphere of the place shifting. There came a loud creaking sound from the distance, as if a door had been flung to on old hinges. The dragon spirit opened his eyes, and low and behold, a large portal had formed several yards away, the spirit world visible on the other side. Haku could see himself, or his body, rather, slumped on the ground, still deep in hibernation.

"We did it, Chihiro!" he exclaimed, running for the portal, still holding tight to her hand.

"I knew you could do it!" she beamed at him, "Look, there you are!"

"I couldn't have done it without you," he turned back to her, gazing down at her with adoration, "This is the third time you've saved me from my fate. I'll never be able to repay you."

"You've saved me before too... twice, actually," she reminded him, "I'd do anything to help you. There's no need to worry about repayment."

Suddenly, from the vortex came a low, malicious growl.

"What was that?" Chihiro turned, stepping closer to the opening.

Below them, they could just barely make out a small, weasel-like creature creeping out of the shadows, towards Haku's comatose form. It had razor sharp talons, spiked fur, needled teeth, and looked considerably hungry.

"Kamaitachi!" Haku gasped, "I have to go, Chihiro. That thing will rip me to shreds."

"Come on, then," she started towards the portal.

"No, you can't come with me. If you enter the spirit world here, your soul will separate from your body and you'll die in the human world. You'll disappear and be stuck in between the two worlds forever. But if you stay here, once I'm gone, you should wake up back at home, perfectly safe."

"Alright..." the girl conceded, "Be careful, Haku."

"I will..." he started to turn away, but faltered, "One more thing, before I leave you..."

He pulled her close, lowering his lips to hers, kissing her gently and passionately. At first, her eyes shot wide in surprise, but she relaxed into him, returning the gesture with equal fervor. When they parted, he caressed her cheek and turned away.

"Until we meet again," he dropped her hand finally and stepped into the vortex.

Chihiro awoke with a start, feeling a pinching sensation on her shoulder. She slung her head from one side, to the other, searching for the source of the pain. Above her, perched on the top of the chair she still occupied, was Yu-bird. The animal had been nipping at her with its beak, desperately trying to rouse her.

"Caw!" the bird cried happily, hopping down into her lap.

"Yu-bird! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you," the girl stroked the creature's ruffled feathers, "Was I asleep for very long?"

"Caw!" came its distressed reply.

"Hours?" she asked.

"Caw, caw."

"_Days_?" Chihiro questioned, in alarm.

"Caw!"

"How many days?" she could hardly believe it.

"Caw... caw!"

"Two whole days?!" she jumped up from her seat, practically tossing the bird to the floor.

She grabbed her phone from the coffee table and jabbed the button to power it up. When the screen finally lit up and she saw the date flash across it, her face went white as a sheet. Yu-bird was right, the girl had slept through two solid days. With that realization, her stomach let out a low growl.

"I'm starving," she drug herself to the kitchen, hunger pangs biting at her abdomen, "I just don't believe it... it couldn't have been a dream... it was all so real."

"Caw?" her loyal companion squawked inquisitively.

"I was with Haku. We were trapped in the dream world," she recalled their encounter as she explained, "He's in some sort of trouble. A creature was after him... I hope he's alright."

She felt a wave of dread descend upon her. Struggling against her shaking hands, she pulled a container of leftovers out of the refrigerator and dropped it in the microwave.

"I shouldn't have left him," she lamented, "I should have followed him and made sure he got out safely. What was I thinking?"

"Caw, caw!" the bird protested.

"I know... I wouldn't have been any help to him dead, or disappeared," the girl mentally kicked herself, suddenly feeling very useless, "I should make a trip to the ruins... maybe the spirit door will open without Haku completing his journey. I can find him and make sure he's safe."

The microwave beeped, and Chihiro punched the button to release the door. The cloud of aroma that swirled around her head made her stomach rumble once more. She was so hungry that the smell almost made her feel sick. Picking up the tray, she returned to the living room and took a seat, digging into the food with her chopsticks, trying desperately to ignore the nausea clinging to her throat. After forcing down a few bites, she began to feel slightly better, and she remembered one more thing about her stint in the dream world that caused heat to rise to her cheeks.

"He kissed me..." she breathed, her mind pulling the memory forward in full force.

She remembered the strong tug of his hand on her arms as he pulled her to him. She remembered his face, hastily inching towards hers. Best of all, she remembered the moist warmth of his lips as they danced upon her own. Adrift in thought, Chihiro lost her grip on her utensils, and they plopped into the plate below.

"Caw!" chirped Yu-bird, looking quite amused.

The redness of the girl's face deepened, "Oh, hush... see if I give you anymore details."

"Caw, caw," the creature sounded apologetic, "Caw!"

The young woman chuckled lightly, "I really wish you could talk sometimes, Yu. But other times, I'm glad you can't."

_Haku,_ retrieving her chopsticks, and continuing her meal, the girl drifted into her own thoughts once more, _when will we see each other again? ...a week, that's what you said... so how many days do we have left?_

"Two days?!" Chihiro cried, suddenly and unmistakably aware of the passage of time that had taken place while she was incapacitated, "Can that be right?!"

"Caw!" Yu-bird confirmed, sounding excited enough for both of them.

"Well, all the same, I'd still like to take the trip in the morning, just to try," she finished up her last few nibbles and took her dishes to the kitchen, "It's worth a shot, right?"

"Caw!" the animal agreed.

"It's settled then," she smiled, "Tomorrow afternoon, we'll head out. Until then, I've got a dress to finish."

* * *

><p>He heard the animal's vicious snarls before his eyes were even open. Biding his time, he waited until the creature was directly upon him. Its hot breath and fetid saliva dribbled onto Haku's neck as its snout rustled his hair, sniffing at its prey curiously. As the thing took a step backward, Haku shot up, throwing a burst of energy towards the beast, knocking it for a loop. The kamaitachi righted itself, and shaking the dust from its fur, it started towards the dragon spirit once more, fangs barred and claws at the ready. This thing was not going to give up so easily. It lunged at him, slashing with its scythe-shaped claws, narrowly missing the man's midriff.<p>

The thing was small, but it was fast. It circled around Haku, diving forward once more, this time aiming for his legs. The spirit leapt backwards, but the thing caught his right ankle, slicing it open wide. Haku seethed through gritted teeth, but realized there was no pain, and no blood to speak of, at that. The dragon spirit had heard the legends of this creature. He knew that, though the wounds seemed unobtrusive now, it was only a matter of time before he would begin to feel it, and worse yet, the bleeding would begin, far more so than any normal wound would emit.

The man was poised to shift to his alternate form, when the beast sprung up on its hind legs and flew toward him. Caught off guard by the attack, Haku was thrown to the ground, the animal pinning him there, alarmingly strong for its size. It slashed at Haku's face and neck, lacerating his flesh as he struggled against its weight. The creature reared up, setting its sights on Haku's midsection. The brief pause in assault gave the spirit a chance to counterattack. Gathering all the power he could muster, he slung a great bolt of magic toward the kamaitachi, knocking it off balance long enough for Haku to escape its clutches.

Panting and sweating, Haku retreated, willing his body to change, but finding it utterly impossible due to his numerous lesions and unfathomable exhaustion. How could a creature so small put up such a monstrous fight? He raced along the rocky terrain, the fiend right on his heels. Abruptly, he found himself at the edge of a great precipice. Skidding to a halt, he spun around to see the creature quickly approaching. When it realized that Haku was cornered, it stopped and let out an evil snarl. The animal crept slowly, menacingly towards the dragon spirit. Haku took a step backward, his toes finding the edge of the cliff, almost losing his footing underneath him.

"Enough of this!" came a gruff, yet feminine, voice from above.

In an split second, the kamaitachi found itself at a major disadvantage. The creature's eyes shot wide, as it's head slid down and tumbled into the dirt, rolling to a stop at Haku's feet. A hazy shadow came floating to the ground, landing next to the crumpled body of the dead animal. Zeniba instantaneously materialized before him. He eyed her skeptically, not sure which sister it was that had decided to pay him a visit.

"What are you giving me that look for?" the old woman questioned, "Don't you think you owe me a thank you?"

"Zeniba?" he ventured, still hesitant.

"Of course! Do you think my sister would bother to save you from that vermin? You give her far too much credit, my boy," Zeniba pursed her lips and looked him over, "We'll have to do something for those wounds, and soon."

Haku glanced down at his tattered body. The gashes that the beast's back talons had cut into his legs and sides gaped open. Red liquid had begun to puddle inside them, and he was acutely aware that soon the agony would set in.

"What can we do?" he pleaded, "It's starting to sting."

"Unfortunately, my magic is useless for this," she explained, regretfully, "However, there should be a plant nearby here that can heal you. Hold tight, I'll be right back."

She zipped off in a flash, traveling faster that anything he'd ever seen. He watched as she flew down into the forest below, zigzagging through the trees. As he waited, a stabbing ache began to burn through his body, and he collapsed to his knees, blood beginning to seep from the slits in his skin.

"Granny?!" he barked, desperately, "Hurry, please!"

A moment later, the woman was back, carrying a large handful of uprooted foliage. She held out her hand, a mortar and pestle manifesting there. She threw the plants into the bowl and ground them as fast as she could, the effort causing sweat to bead upon her brow. By the time she was finished, the crimson was coming in heavy gushes and Haku was beginning to fall into darkness.

"Sit up, boy," she struggled to support him, bringing the bowl to his mouth, "Here, drink it. Don't give up now."

He struggled to raise his head enough to ingest the pungent concoction. The old witch grabbed his hair and yanked his head back, forcing the potion into his mouth. Once he had gulped down enough of the stuff, he felt the flood of sanguine fluid subsiding.

"Now, that's a good lad," she released his locks and urged him onto his back, "Lay down. Let me apply the rest of this to your wounds."

Haku submitted without contest, but he could feel the minutes slipping away from him, "I have to go... time is running out. Chihiro will come, and I won't be there for her..."

"Have patience, child," Zeniba tried to assuage him, as she rubbed the salve onto his torn flesh, "You will make it in time, and if you don't, Chihiro will understand."

"She shouldn't have to wait any longer," his voice was ragged and strained, "I'm going to fail her... she deserves so much better. She was so beautiful... in my dream..."

"You saw her in your dream?" the old woman was taken aback by his words, "When?"

"Fate... trapped me inside of my dream..." he winced when she applied the solution to a particularly nasty gash, "When I called to her, she came to me... not just a vision of her, but her soul... it merged with my own and she was really there... I don't know how it happened, but she saved me... and now I'm going to let her down..."

"Hush, boy!" Zeniba chastised, "Don't you realize? A connection like that is positively unheard of. To be able to cross over the boundary of worlds with one's very soul, to pass into another being? I've never heard of such a thing! You can't discount yourself after all this. Don't you see how far you've come - how your bond with Chihiro has strengthened to the point of being legendary?"

"I know you're right, granny," Haku's eyes glimmered with the first hint of tears, "But... even if I get her back, I'm just going to lose her again... Fate told me so."

"Pish tosh!" the old woman finished her work and helped the dragon spirit up to sitting, "Pay no mind to that old grump. The two of you together are stronger than destiny."

Haku considered her point for a moment. His wounds had already begun to close themselves, and the pain was subsiding rapidly. He took in a deep breath and stood, resolving to continue on, regardless of what may try to stand in his way.

"I can't waste any more time, then," he bowed to her in appreciation, "Thank you so much. Without your help, I surely wouldn't have made it out of this."

"Don't be silly," she stood, wiping her hands on her billowing skirts, "I'm going with you. No sense in you enduring these perils alone."

"No, I can't risk putting you in danger," he held up his hand to stay her.

She snorted, amusedly, "I just saved your neck, didn't I? No use in arguing, I won't be swayed."

"Alright," he acquiesced with a sigh, "Let's be off, then."

* * *

><p><em>Two chapters in one day! Woohoo! <em>

_Poor Haku can't catch a break, can he? But, hey! At least he got a kiss, am I right? :) Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm really loving all the things I'm learning doing research for this project. All of the creatures & deities we've encountered so far have been pulled straight from Japanese mythology, and man has that been some intriguing reading! I highly recommend doing some research, yourself, if any of the mythological creatures so far have struck your fancy. Anyway, thank you again to all the reviewers, followers__, and favorite...ers? o.O I really appreciate it, so much! Thank you for taking this incredible journey with me! Much love to all! *hugs*_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Chapter 17**_

Haku and Zeniba had taken flight, but the old witch proved difficult to keep up with. The dragon pushed forward, struggling to keep up the pace. He was still weary from his continuous ordeals, and he could only hope his body wouldn't fail him before his journey came to an end. When they closed in on the far side of the mountain range, they descended to the ground, Haku returning to his human form for the trek beyond.

"It's not much further now," he could see the mouth of the cavern before them, only a few minutes walk ahead, "Brace yourself. There's no telling what kind of guardians this spirit may have patrolling his den."

"In all my years, I'm sure I've seen worse," Zeniba gave a throaty chuckle, her devil-may-care attitude filling Haku with a strong sense of apprehension.

"Regardless, we need to stay on our toes," he gritted his teeth, his heartbeat spurring as they closed the gap between themselves and the gaping hollow, "I'm not sure how many more encounters like the ones I've been having that I can take."

"You've survived so far. Give yourself a little more merit," the old woman gave him a supportive pat to his back, "You've impressed me with your will to succeed, I can tell you that much. You and my sister have that in common. She made this journey, herself, centuries ago, and she came out unscathed. You'll do the same, I have faith in that."

"Thank you," it was all he could muster up, never having been one that was comfortable with being complimented.

They passed through the entrance in silence, Haku meticulously attuned to every hint of sound reverberating on the stoney walls. Their pace slowed as they made their way through the winding corridors. The place was eerily devoid of life, and the dragon knew that that could not be a good sign.

"It's too quiet in here," he said under his breath, "What are they waiting for?"

"Perhaps this will be easier than we anticipated," Zeniba shrugged, "But I doubt it."

"When has anything we've ever attempted been easy?" Haku echoed the words Chihiro had spoke to him in the dream world, the thought of her giving a boost to his courage, "Wherever they are, I wish they'd just show themselves so we could get this over with."

"Be careful what you wish for," the old woman advised, "We don't know who, or what, exactly we're up against yet..."

Just then, from the shadows ahead of them, came a soft rustling sound. Haku stiffened, his eyes struggling to adjust to the darkness, unable still to see what lay before them. Zeniba snapped her fingers and a flare of light shot up, illuminating the pathway ahead. As far as they could see, they were alone, but the dragon spirit couldn't help but fell that their luck would run out, and soon.

"There's something down there. I can smell the beast," Zeniba confirmed his suspicious, before calling out into the gloom, "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

"What are you doing?" Haku seethed through gritted teeth, "You're going to get us killed."

"Nonsense," she waved him off, "If it knows that _we_ know that it's here, the element of surprise is taken away completely. We'll have a fair fight."

A loud, foreboding bird call resounded through the chamber, and from a fissure in the walls lumbered a giant vulture-like gargoyle. Its face was a chilling shade of ruby, the feathers adorning its wings were black as night, and it's face was unsettlingly human, with the exception of a great, amber beak protruding where the nose and mouth should be.

"Ah, a tengu," Zeniba smirked, "How quaint."

The creature screeched threateningly, trudging toward them with an awkward gait. It stretched its wings, more than filling up the tunnel with the massive span of them. As sinister as the beast was, Haku was beside himself to witness Zeniba positively tickled by the display. She cackled raucously, clutching at her sides, doubling over in laughter.

"What is so funny? Aren't those things demons?" the spirit had begun to back away slowly.

"Aha! Don't be stupid! It's just a kotengu. They're not evil, just protective," she gulped in a few breaths before continuing, quelling her mirth for the moment, "That thing is harmless. It's daitengu you really have to worry about. But this thing, it's no more than an oversized pigeon."

The monstrous hybrid let out an offended squawk. It ruffled its feathers and hopped forward, getting right into Zeniba's face. It cawed again, at full volume this time, blowing the woman's hair out of place and spraying a light coat of saliva onto her.

"Ugh! Disgusting! Didn't your master teach you any manners?" she wiped her face with her sapphire hem.

Without warning, the ground began to shake underneath them and a thunderous roar flooded the cavern. The kotengu turned and retreated hastily back into the crevice from whence it came. The darkness in front of the pair suddenly sprouted a terrifying red face, with a nose that jutted out over a foot in length. As this new beast stomped toward them, carrying a tall walking stick with him, and the ground beneath them trembled like an earthquake. The thing's massive frame dwarfed that of the previous creature, his stature virtually filling up the the entirety of the tunnel's circumference. Its body was more human like, but its feathered wings mirrored those of the kotengu, and their enormous height caused them to drag across the top and bottom of the corridor.

"What is that?" Haku demanded.

"You remember that daitengu I mentioned?" she breathed, through clenched teeth, and the beast let out another intimidating bellow, shaking the entire cave forcefully, "And that is our signal to run!"

"No! I'm tired of trying to escape from everything that holds me back!" the dragon spirit protested, taking several defiant steps toward the behemoth, "Let me pass, or pay with your life!"

The monster reached to its waist and unsheathed a naginata blade, securing it into the staff in his opposite hand. He brandished the pole sword with a grand flourish and thrust it at Haku, pointing it just inches from his face. The spirit did not move or flinch in the slightest. He held his ground, gathering what little strength he had left, preparing to attack. Zeniba stepped forward, gathering magical energy in the palms of her hands, but Haku put his arm up to stop her.

"This is my fight," he stated, plainly.

"But..." the old woman started to object, but he cut her off.

"Get back, granny," came his stern command, fire burning in his eyes as he stared down the titan looming over them.

He raised his arms at his sides, palms turned upward, orange orbs of magical energy burgeoning and pulsing above them. The spheres swelled, growing larger and larger, as Haku's powers reached their apex. Lifting his arms above his head, the two globes coalesced, creating one grandiose ball of magic. Haku was seconds away from flinging his creation at the leviathan, when he was interrupted by another sound permeating the darkness.

"Stop!" the familiar voice shouted, "Daranibō, retreat!"

The beast seethed, barring its sharp teeth once more, but heeded the call, turning and trudging back the way it came, disappearing into shadow. Haku dropped his hands, the magic dissipating into the atmosphere.

"Who's there?" the dragon spirit called, but already had a good idea of who would answer.

"Forgotten me so soon?" Fate quipped, stepping out of the gloom.

"Enough games," Haku's tone was filled with determination, having finally reached the limit to his patience, "You know why I'm here."

"Indeed," the older man nodded, "Did you enjoy meeting my pets? Daranibō came from Mount Fuji... or should I say, I _procured_ him from there."

The grin the man plastered on filled Haku with disgust, "You're in real danger of breaking my last nerve. After everything I have endured to get here, I won't be stalled any longer by your jabbering."

"I was just trying to make polite conversation, no need to be rude," the powerful spirit turned and waved for them to follow, "Come with me, if you will. Let's talk in my office."

Haku huffed angrily, but conceded, deciding it was best not to push his luck at this point, "Lets go, granny."

"Actually, we don't need her for this," Fate gave a flick of his wrist, and Zeniba vanished without a trace.

"What did you do to her?!" Haku barked.

"Don't worry, I just sent her back to the bathhouse, where she belongs," he continued on, the pair falling into silence as they traversed deep into the cavern.

They walked, side-by-side, for a lengthy period before Haku finally broke the quiet with a snide remark, "Couldn't you have just teleported us to your office?"

The spirit smirked, "It's not the job of Fate to make things easy for anyone."

"Truer words were never spoke," Haku scoffed.

"Patience isn't your strong suit, I take it."

"Not recently... but who can blame me?"

"Touché!" the older man chuckled, "Well, your wait is over. Here we are."

Fate swept his hand outward, and a large, ornate door appeared in the rock wall ahead of them. It swung open to allow them entry, and dragon spirit followed the man inside, the door then slamming shut at their backs.

"Have a chair," the man urged, seating himself behind the desk, and Haku accepted the offer reluctantly, "Now, down to business."

"You said if I made it here, you'd open the door," Haku reminded him.

"I did say that," Fate nodded somberly, "But I also warned you of what would happen, should you complete your task."

"And I told you I don't care," the dragon spirit shot back, "I'll find a way to save her, whether it _should_ happen or not."

The older spirit let out a weary sigh, "My boy, you know not what you say, but I will give you credit where it is deserved. Somehow the two of you managed to form a bond so strong that it broke you out of my prison. Do you know, there are tens of hundreds of spirits out there, still where I left them, trapped in their own personal nightmares?"

"You've just left people to suffer in the dream world?" Haku was outraged at the confession, "What kind of monster are you?!"

"I'm only trying to maintain the natural order of things," he appeared regretful, but Haku was convinced it was all an act, "The point is, you are free, thanks to your lovely companion. What you accomplished simply doesn't happen. The willpower it took, not only for the girl to break through the border of worlds, but to help you create a portal back to yourself... there is more to this woman than you realize. I'm not even quite sure I understand what it is that's so exceptional about her."

"You underestimated her. You're not the first to make that mistake," the man said with confidence.

"Indeed, I did. And though that kind of thing doesn't happen often, don't get full of yourself. I'm about to do you a grand favor."

"What do you want?" Haku knew things like this always came with a price.

"Nothing," the man sat back in his chair and laced his fingers together, "Tomorrow evening, as scheduled, the door will be open and the girl will be able to cross over. You should be on your way, you have quite a long journey home."

It was too easy, and the young spirit couldn't help but question it, "That's it? As simple as that?"

"I owe you that much. You've shown bravery, determination, intellect, loyalty... you're deserving of this small happiness, if it is what you desire, no matter how brief it may be," the man was a conundrum, the likes of which Haku couldn't quite grasp, but for a being such as Fate, his tentative disposition seemed to make sense, "You won't even encounter anymore terrors along the way, I'll make sure of that. Now go, I've taken up enough of your time."

With a wave of his hand, the doorway flew open. Haku stood, bowing deeply, but said nothing, instead converting into his dragon form and darting out of the cavern at the speed of light.


	18. Chapter 18

_**Chapter 18**_

Rin sat on the deck of the girls' quarters, legs dangling in the air, waiting impatiently for the sun to roll back behind the earth. Though she'd been promoted several years before, and had been offered a room all her own, she couldn't bring herself to leave the humble room she had shared for so many decades. It was too familiar, and she could admit, to herself at least, that she'd never been one to reach very far out of her comfort zone. With a sigh, she stood and carefully stepped across the labyrinth of women still snoozing on the floor.

She glided quietly through the hallways of the darkened building and out the door, to the front of the building. She hadn't slept well since Haku had left, and today was no different. These walks she'd come accustomed to usually helped to calm her nerves before the start of her busy work shift. This day, however, she found no solace in the sound of the breeze rustling the leaves. Lifting her hands to her head, she rubbed circles on her temples trying to ease away the headache that was trying to creep its way in. She reached the bridge in front of the bathhouse and leaned forward over the railing, attempting to clear her mind.

The train passed underneath, a solemn reminder of dreams she continued to let slip away from her. Turning her back on the rail, she rested her elbows behind her and threw her head back to look at the clouds. None of the usual tactics were helping to quell her anxiety, it seemed. As she stared up into the sky, an odd, dark shape appeared in the blue expanse. The figure grew larger at an alarming rate, obviously descending at breakneck speed.

"What in the-" Rin started, but the thing slammed down in front of her before she could finish.

The old woman looked disheveled and quite put out. She shook herself off, brushing the dust from her skirts and smoothing her hair back into its place. Rin blinked rapidly, unsure if what she was seeing was just some sleep-deprived hallucination.

"He could have at least given me a softer landing," the familiar voice grumbled.

"Zeniba?" the girl stepped forward.

"Oh, hello dear," the sorceress hadn't realized the girl was standing there until that moment, "Would you look at that... at least he tossed me somewhere familiar, I suppose."

"He who?" Rin's expression changed from skeptical to confused, "Where's Haku? Is he alright?"

"The boy is fine," Zeniba assured her, "He's made it to his destination, but Fate didn't want me in on their little conversation, so he dropped me back here... quite literally. He should be back in a couple of days."

"_A couple of days?_" the girl's tone was filled with alarm, "B-but, Chihiro was supposed to be back tomorrow!"

"I guess we'll just have to welcome her ourselves, and let her know he's on his way," she started towards the bathhouse, "That is, if that disagreeable old fool will even open the door for poor Haku. Until we have the chance to find out, lets ready the bathhouse for Chihiro's return, yes?"

"Are you positive that he's alright?" Rin repeated.

"Yes, I'm sure! He wouldn't let his precious minions come to harm, let alone himself," Zeniba reassured, "He saw what Haku was capable of and he tried to hide it, but I could smell his fear."

"I hope he gets back soon. I don't want to be the one to tell Chihiro he's going to be late," the young woman rolled her eyes, picking up her pace to catch up, "May as well start my day, I guess..."

"Have you even slept today?" she asked as the two made their way into the still silent bathhouse.

"I don't sleep much anymore," she could feel the exhaustion tugging at her eyes, "Too much on my mind..."

"You need a break, dear," Zeniba suggested in a motherly fashion, "It does no one any good to work themselves the way you do without the occasional vacation."

"I'm afraid if I took a vacation, I wouldn't come back," Rin admitted, following the woman to the elevators.

"If you got out of here for a little while, it may surprise you how much you miss the place."

The young woman snorted amusedly, "That'll be the day."

"I think we should plan a ball," Zeniba attempted to change the subject as they started their ascent towards the top floor.

"A _ball?_" Rin balked, "Like, big frilly dresses and bowing and dancing? I don't think so."

"It's not for _you_, it will be to celebrate Chihiro and Haku's safe return," the old witch was beginning to feel quite excited about the prospect, "The bathhouse has a dance hall, doesn't it?"

"Well, yea," the girl grimaced, "but it hasn't been used or even cleaned out in ages. There's probably cobwebs in there a mile wide."

"We'll put some Frogs on it, and it'll be spotless in no time," Zeniba beamed, "We'll have to tell the chefs to stock up on food, hire a band, and candles... we'll need a _lot_ of candles. We'll find a dress maker for you and Chihiro..."

"Oh no. No way. You are not getting me in a dress!" Rin protested.

"Nonsense! I'm sure you clean up nicely," the woman teased, "I bet there's even quite a lovely girl under all those layers of bath muck and disdain."

"Nice, very nice," the young woman's eyes were starting to get sore from all the rolling they were doing, "Whatever... as long as it's not too puffy."

They arrived at the top floor and headed toward the office. When they entered, Yubaba was already awake and at her work, bent over a small table in the corner counting the previous day's profits.

"Back already, sister?" Yubaba asked without lifting her gaze from the fortune in front of her.

Zeniba only grunted in her twin's general direction, continuing her conversation with Rin, "If you won't take a vacation, at least let yourself go enough to celebrate a little bit. Chihiro was a dear friend to you, was she not?"

"Of course..."

"And Haku has been a fair employer, am I correct?"

"Well, yea..."

"And have you not worked your fingers to the bone for over a century now, without a moments rest?"

"Don't remind me..."

"Well, that's it, then. I'll delegate some tasks to your employees and you'll oversee their progress, it will give you a break from your regular drudgery. I'll take care of that for the moment. Chihiro will be here tomorrow, and Haku will return a day or two after, so we'll plan it for the end of the week."

Yubaba's interest was peeked, and she broke her concentrations to interject, "Planning a party, are you?"

"Yes, and I'll have no mischief out of you!" Zeniba said, leery of her sister's sudden curiosity, "Don't make me put you back in the boiler room for the next few days. I'll lock the door and throw away the key if I even catch a whiff that you may be up to your schemes."

The demoted twin threw her hands in the air defensively, "You'll hear not a peep out of me, as long as you leave me to my work. Can't you at least give me my own office so I'm not constantly harangued?"

"Don't get your hopes up," Rin chimed in, haughtily.

It was Yubaba's turn to for an eye roll, "Will I at least receive an invitation to this little soiree?"

Rin began to protest but Zeniba spoke up, "Of course... as long as you promise to stay by my side the entire time."

Yubaba sneered, "What's the fun in that?"

"I'm not exactly thrilled at the prospect, but it's for your own good, and the good of the bathhouse. I'll have no transgressions at my party, especially not from you," Zeniba narrowed her eyes at her sister, "Am I clear?"

"Positively transparent," the old woman slapped on a sardonic grin.

Zeniba eyed her suspiciously, then turned back to Rin, "The workers should be up by now. Go on and gather the people you need for the tidying. If what you say is true, we'll need all the time we can get to restore the ballroom."

"Right... I'm still not sure about this..." Rin said skeptically, but turned to leave.

Yubaba stood and approached her sister, "You know, in a place like this, these kind of things always end in trouble."

"Don't be silly, sister," Zeniba waved her off, "This isn't some kind of storybook. Everything will be just fine."

* * *

><p>Chihiro's trip to the ruins had been uneventful, to say the least. Yu-bird still retained a strange connection to the spirit world, and the girl could tell from its excited squawking that it could see when the entities began to crowd the streets of the place. When Chihiro had realized what was causing the bird's outburst, her heart sank, and she retreated from the place hastily. She could tell Yu-bird pitied her, but she tried hard to hold on to the thought that tomorrow things would be different. On the way home, she made the decision to go visit her parents one last time before leaving the human world for good. She owed them that much, at least.<p>

When she awoke the next morning, she pulled a duffel from her closet and went to packing. She knew she wouldn't need much in the alternate world, but she wanted just a few personal items more for comfort than anything. To the tote she added a couple changes of clothes, her toiletries, most of the gifts she'd gotten for her friends, and lastly, a framed picture of herself with her parents that was taken on the day she graduated high school. When she was satisfied with the contents of the duffel, she went to rouse Yu-bird and to finish readying herself for the day.

She made her way into the living room, and pulled her dress from the desk chair. Slipping off her pajamas, she pulled the dress over her head and zipped it up. It fit perfectly and the fabric felt amazing against her skin. She glanced down the hall into the full length mirror. With the dress on, combined with the new hair and makeup, Chihiro hardly recognized herself. Peering down at the desk that held the sewing machine, a wave of melancholy swept over her. It was a funny thing to realize you'd miss such trivial things as a sewing machine, a coffee maker, a cushy chair... but she would miss them, indeed.

She pulled on her white knit sweater, carefully checking to make sure her special hairband was still secured around her wrist. Quickly, she scribbled a note to the landlord and tossed the key to the apartment on the coffee table, along with next month's rent before scooping up her favorite throw blanket and stuffing it in the duffle along with all her other possessions. She had no friends or family to call to say goodbye to. That realization brought to light just how lonely her existence had been up until Yu-bird came squawking back into her life. She glanced lovingly up at the bird who had come to perch on her shoulder.

"Are you ready Yu-bird?"

"Caw!"

"Alright, let's go see my parents," with that, they took off out the door, Chihiro taping the landlord's note to the outside of it before they left for good.

She felt anxious and weirdly tired as they took the long drive to the cemetery. By the time they arrived, the sky had begun to cloud over and tiny drops of rain were plopping silently onto her windshield. Autumn was quickly transitioning to winter, more evident every day that snow was just on the horizon. It would be Christmas soon and around that time the land was almost guaranteed to be covered in a soft white blanket. Chihiro wondered what the bathhouse and its grounds looked like with that beautiful pure glow. She could imagine the closely knit tombstones shrouded in cottony pillows, the flakes drifting slowly down upon them until they were almost indiscernible from each other. The girl walked slowly to the pair of graves, hanging her head in a silent prayer.

When she finished her internal dialogue, she spoke out loud to them, "Hi mom and dad. I miss you both very much, but I hope you're in a better place now. I'm sorry I didn't come sooner, I just wasn't ready... I'm still not... but I'm going to a better place too, so I won't have another chance to visit you. You'll always be in my heart. I'll never forget you both, I promise. And even though you never believed me... made me feel like I was crazy sometimes... I forgive you. I'll... I'll always be your little girl."

With those last words, she dropped to the ground, the tears she had been holding back cascading from her eyes. She hadn't let herself really mourn their deaths until this very moment, and the feeling was overwhelming. Big, gasping sobs escaped her, reminding her of the time she had cried with Haku right after she'd first entered the spirit world. She couldn't remember crying like that at any other point in her life.

As she sat in rumination, the rain began to let up, and the sun peaked out from behind the clouds. The wind rustled the trees, catching the last remaining leaves that still clung to life in its grasp and toppling them to the ground. She stayed there for a long while, unsure of how much time had passed. Her stomach gave a low rumble and she glanced toward Yu-bird, who was not far off, pecking at the ground in search of bugs and seed.

"Are you hungry, Yu?" Chihiro asked with a hint of a smile.

"Caw!"

"Alright then... we've stayed here long enough. Let's go get you something to eat..."

With that, they retreated from the graveyard, memories of her parent playing through her mind as they drove the sparsely populated roads. Maybe she would see them again, once she passed back into the spirit world... or maybe they were some place even better yet.

* * *

><p><em>Just want to say sorry for this chapter taking so long, and for it not being the most "thrilling" of entries. Also, if there are any grammatical errors, because I didn't really take the time to go over this one with a fine tooth comb like I usually do. It's more just for filler, since we're sort of coming into the second act of this story. Sometimes boring filler is necessary for transitioning, but I found it somewhat difficult to write because I prefer the more action packed chapters. I promise to have another, much more interesting chapter (or two!) up in a day or so! Hope you'll stick around for it! Thanks again, so much for reading and reviewing and following and favoriting! I've almost reached 1,300 views! That's pretty great, if you ask me! Much love to all!<em>


	19. Chapter 19

_**Chapter 19**_

Dusk was already peeking over the horizon once Chihiro reached the old ruins. She parked just in front of the peculiar little statue and grabbed her things before tossing the keys in the driver's seat and starting towards the building. Yu-bird flew ahead, excited to finally be going home. Chihiro kicked into a jog to keep up, anticipation swelling inside of her. They reached the little brook in no time, the girl struggling unsteadily to hop the rocks across, her body having developed a nasty case of the nervous shakes. She ascended the steps carefully and resumed her quick pace once she was back on solid ground.

They finally arrived among the restaurants, and to Chihiro's delight, there were piles of food on the counters and she could see as the lanterns lit up before her. All around her, spirits began to materialize. Cooks stoked their fires, patrons took their seats at the counters to begin their meals. Chihiro felt her heartbeat hasten. As she passed by one of the restaurants, an employee called out to her.

"Hey, human! What are you doing here? You don't belong here!" came his gruff voice.

"I'm here to see Haku," she explained, as Yu-bird ruffled its feathers, transforming back into its true form and squawking in agreement.

"Wait... I know that voice," the spirit narrowed his beady eyes at her, "Sen?"

She nodded, "Yes, sir. I won't keep you, I'll be on my way."

"Don't be silly, Sen! It's so good to have you back with us!" he beckoned her towards the counter, "You smell awful, but come, have a bite to eat so you won't waste away on us! We all knew you would come back one day!"

She hadn't realized she had made such a drastic impression on the world, but she stepped forward and accepted the dumpling he offered her with her free hand, "Thank you, sir. But I really do have to be going."

"No problem! Come see us again, soon," he waved her off and she went on her way, nibbling at the dumpling as she walked.

She had thought Haku would meet her at the steps, but as she approached the bridge, she still saw no sight of him. What she did see, though, filled her with joy.

"Rin! Yubaba! Granny! Boh!" she shouted happily as she sprinted forward, dropping the dumpling in her rush.

"Chihiro!" they all called out in unison, springing towards her and surrounding her in a big group hug.

"We missed you so much!" came Rin.

"Oh, you're still so pretty," came Zeniba.

"What have you done to your hair, child?" quipped Yubaba.

"Let's go play!" cheered Boh.

She could hardly keep her wits about her with everyone crowding her at once. She laughed giddily and swept her bangs out of her eyes, not quite sure who to answer first.

"I've missed you all too," she began, "Thank you, Granny. I just cut it a little. And we'll play very soon, Boh! But... where's Haku?"

Everyone was quiet, the three women fidgeting uneasily, Rin finally breaking the silence, "He... he hasn't gotten back yet."

Chihiro's eyes widened in alarm, "Is he alright?"

"Of course, dear," Zeniba assured her with a comforting pat to her shoulder, "He'll be back in a day or so. His journey is just taking a bit longer than he planned."

"But... you're sure he's okay?" the girl wrung her hands, her back tensing with fear.

"He'll be fine," Yubaba chimed in, "Since you're here, we know he made it past Fate, so no harm will come to him on his journey home."

Chihiro breathed a sigh of relief, and Rin hooked arms with her, leading her into the bathhouse, "Come on, lets get you settled. Have you had anything to eat yet?"

"Yes, thank you," the girl nodded, still unable to shake her worry for the dragon spirit.

"Okay, good. I'll take you to your room and you can start getting unpacked. We'll be back down in a bit!" Rin called back to the group.

They walked into the building and towards the elevators, leaving the others behind for now. The older girl pulled the lever to take them up, and once they were alone Chihiro began to calm a bit. Rin looked her over with a concerned expression.

"Are you alright?" she asked, sympathetically.

"I'm fine," Chihiro breathed, "Just still a little in shock, I think, about being back. And worried about Haku."

"He'll be fine," Rin grinned confidently, "There's nothing that boy couldn't do, especially if it meant getting you back here. He hasn't been the same since you left, you know. I mean, he was already a surly little mope, but with you gone and running the bathhouse on top of it... well, I'll be glad to see him smile again, at least."

"Me too," the younger girl clutched her bundles to her chest, "He runs the bathhouse now?"

"Yea, about five years ago, Yubaba went kinda crazy... or crazier than she already was, so Haku overthrew her and took over," the woman explained, seeming bored with the story, "He didn't really want to, but she didn't give him much of a choice either. She was making our lives a living hell, and he felt responsible."

"Hm, yea... that sounds like him."

They reached the top floor and the doors slid open. Rin exited and motioned for Chihiro to follow her. They walked down the winding hallways that Chihiro remembered so well, passing door after door that she'd never had a chance to explore. They passed a large set of double doors that Chihiro didn't recall seeing before.

"That's Haku's room," Rin tilted her head towards it, "You're right down here next to it. It was supposed to be my room, but I never actually moved into it."

"I can't take your room!" Chihiro protested.

"Nonsense! I'm not using it and I don't want to," Rin scoffed, "I don't need all that space and flash, it's too much for me. I'm happy exactly where I've always been."

"Sure..." the human girl answered sarcastically, cocking an eyebrow at her companion.

"Whatever, come on," she led Chihiro to the door and opened it for her to enter.

The room was minimal in decor, but immaculate all the same. A black sleigh bed, adorned with ornate carvings, sat against one wall, with matching tables on either side. A vanity, similar in style, was placed against the opposite wall, a grand circular mirror sitting upon it. In the corner of the room was a claw foot table with two chairs around it and a gorgeous lamp with a mosaic glass shade lit on its surface. The colors from the light patterned the walls in aurora like hues of blues, greens, and purples. In the middle of the floor, between the bed and the vanity was a lavish rug embroidered in the same tones as the lamp shade. There was a door off to one side and Rin motioned towards it.

"That's your own, private bathroom," she noted.

"It's amazing," Chihiro was in awe.

"I decorated it myself," Rin beamed proudly.

"Thank you!" the girl turned to her friend and held out the gift wrapped package, "Here, this is for you."

"What? You didn't have to get me anything!" the woman looked positively shocked, but accepted the gift and crossed to one of the chairs to sit.

She unwrapped it slowly, as Chihiro joined her in the opposite seat, "It's not much, but I wanted to get you something to thank you for being such a good friend to me."

"Not much? It weighs a ton!" Rin slipped off the paper and pulled open the lid of the box, her eyes sparkling at the sight before her, "Oh my... Chihiro, this is beautiful."

"Open the box," Chihiro urged.

Rin lifted the small chest from its packaging and sat it on the table in front of her. Carefully, she undid the clasp, just barely lifting it to peek inside. When she saw its contents, a single tear slid down her flushed cheek.

"It's gorgeous," she whispered, barely audible to the other girl, "No one has ever given me anything like this before. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm glad you like it," Chihiro smiled and Rin leapt out of her seat, rushing to her friend, grabbing her up in a tight embrace.

"You have to keep it in here," Rin said, pulling away slightly, "If the other girls get a look at it, one of them will try to make off with it. Greedy little twerps."

Chihiro chuckled, "That's fine. But... since this is really your room, why don't you stay with me in here for a few days. Just until I get settled, at least. This is a big place to be all by myself, and the bed is plenty large enough for both of us."

"Are... are you sure?"

"Of course! It'll be like a slumber party," the girl grinned wide.

"A what?"

"Um... it's something girls do in the human world. We get together at each others' houses and spend the night, tell ghost stories, eat junk food, stuff like that."

"Oh... that could be fun, I guess."

"It will be, I promise."

"Well, until then, lets get some breakfast. You can say hello to everyone and help me make my rounds. I'm manager now, so my job has changed quite a bit," she led Chihiro out of the room, locking the door behind her, and handing the key over, "Here, just in case."

Chihiro took it and slipped it into the pocket of her sweater, "Thanks."

"Don't mention it. Hey, in a few days, we're having a ball," Rin remembered with a mixture of excitement and disdain.

"A ball? Like... a dance?" the younger girl looked confused.

"Yea, whenever Haku gets back. We're throwing it to celebrate your return. It was Zeniba's idea, so make sure you thank her."

"Of course. But... I don't have anything to wear to a ball..."

"She'll take care of all that, don't worry. The only thing you'll have to worry about is Haku stepping on your feet. I don't think anyone around here has danced in centuries."

The thought made Chihiro giggle, "He may be the one who has to worry about _me_ stepping on _his_ toes. I've never danced in my life."

"Well, you are a klutz. I'll make sure to tell him to wear some sturdy shoes," Rin quipped, throwing her a teasing wink.

"Thanks a lot! I'm not _that_ clumsy any more," Chihiro insisted.

"I'll believe it when I see it," Rin said seriously, but the evil glare Chihiro shot back sent both girls bursting into laughter.

By the time they arrived in the cafeteria, the place was bustling with activity. Everywhere she turned, Chihiro was assailed with greeting of hugs and pats and gleaming smiles. The spirits were practically cheering for her, causing her face to redden to a bright ruby shade.

She inched in close to Rin and whispered under her breath, "This is all too much."

"Hey! Back off! You'll all get your turn to say hello, give the girl some air!" Rin shouted to the crowd, causing them all to disperse promptly.

"Thank you," she sighed, having known she could trust the woman to strike a little fear into the mob, "I thought I was going to be trampled."

"You probably would have. You may as well be a celebrity as far as they're concerned," Rin made her way to the food line and took her place, Chihiro staying close behind.

"But, I didn't do anything," the idea of fame bewildered her.

"Are you kidding? You freed _the great Master Haku_ from bondage, allowing him to rise up and strike down _the nefarious dictator Yubaba_," Rin related with a theatrical flourish to her words, "You may as well have taken her down yourself, the way they see it."

"What's she doing now?" Chihiro followed the woman through the line, grabbing the same things she did, still feeling awkward and unsure of herself.

"Well, she was scrubbing the baths with the Frogs, but Zeniba promoted her in exchange for some information, so now she's working in accounting with the Frog that used to be the foreman... I can _never_ remember his name."

"Oh... I never meant for her to lose her job because of me," Chihiro lamented.

"Don't feel sorry for her! She went too far after you left! I'll tell you about it when we have our sleeper party tonight," Rin pulled Chihiro by the arm towards an empty place at one of the tables.

"Slumber party," the younger girl corrected with an amused smirk.

"Whatever," the woman scoffed, "Sounds like a pretty girly concept to me anyway... like this ball we're throwing."

"You're not excited about it?"

"Well, I'm glad we're having a celebration for you, but Zeniba expects _me_ to dress up too," she rolled her eyes, "Could you imagine? _Me_, in a big, poofy, frilly get up? _Please_..."

"You'll look beautiful," Chihiro smiled warmly, imagining the scene.

"You are too good for your own good," Rin snorted, "Now eat up, we've got work to do."

* * *

><p>Haku struggled to keep adrift, his magic and his body threatening to give out on him once and for all. He had been flying for hours, not daring to take a break, knowing all the while that even at his accelerated pace, he would never make it back in time to welcome Chihiro back properly. His breathing grew shallow as he pressed onward.<p>

_Just a few more hours,_ he thought, _just a little while longer, and I'll be with her again. I can make it. Chihiro, I'm coming..._

What he wouldn't have given at that moment to be able to fly as swiftly as Zeniba. Fate had been true to his word, in assuring that Haku would not encounter anymore peril along the way. However, he discounted the probability that the dragon spirit's own body was dangerously close to failing him. After everything that he had endured so far, he was drastically spent, exhausted beyond comprehension.

He struggled onward, focusing all of his mind on thoughts of Chihiro, clinging to the memory of the kiss they had shared in the dream world. Just as he was sure he could go on no further, and he felt his fatigued body weighing him down towards the ground far below, he caught a glimpse of the bathhouse on the horizon. With a final, desperate burst of energy, he sprang forward with all his might. Struggling, panting, and sweating, the dragon willed himself on, the building inching closer in his waning vision. As he neared the grounds, he felt himself descend unwillingly. His dragon form melted away with his last ounce of strength, and in his true form he fell, hard and fast towards the courtyard below. Before his body could even make contact with the grass, consciousness finally, unmercifully slipped away.


	20. Chapter 20

_**Chapter 20**_

Chihiro and Rin strolled lazily through the grounds outside of the bathhouse, reminiscing and catching up on what had been going on in their lives since last they saw one another. The younger girl peered up towards the heavens, admiring the soft pinkish haze that signaled the coming of dawn, when out of the corner of her eye she spotted a slender, silvery wisp of a form darting haphazardly through the sky in their direction.

She bolted forward in trepidation, "That's... It's Haku!"

"He doesn't look like he's doing too well up there!" Rin followed behind her.

"What can we do? We need to help him!"

"He's falling too fast! I'll get Zeniba, maybe she can help," the older woman darted off back towards the building shouting for the old woman, commanding the employees to find her post haste.

The dragon continued to free fall, but Chihiro could do nothing but stand there and watch. As he neared the ground, the creature shifted back to man, his eyes closed and his body limp and lifeless.

"Haku!" the girl shouted, hoping to rouse him before it was too late, "Haku, no! Stop falling! Wake up!"

Chihiro threw one hand forward, covering her eyes with the opposite arm, expecting to hear the sound of his body crashing down and his bones crunching with the impact. But there was no sound, not even a soft thud. She lowered her arms slowly, preparing herself for the worst. Just a few yards in front of her, Haku's body lay floating in midair several inches off the ground. When she dropped her hands to her sides, he dropped the rest of the way, landing with only a gentle plop. She whipped her head around, looking for signs of Yubaba, or Zeniba, or some other spirit, but they were alone.

"What... how did that happen?" she shook the thought from her head and ran to kneel beside him, shaking his shoulders gently, "Haku? Haku! Wake up, please, Haku!"

The man ground and stirred slightly, his eyelids struggling to break apart, but managing a small slit through which he could just barely see her face, "Chihiro..."

"You're alive!" she caressed his forehead and cupped his cheek, "Do you think you can get up?"

He nodded, but even that slight movement seemed strained. She snaked her arm around his neck and helped him up to a sitting position. He started to try standing, but she urged him to stay down for now.

"You've come a long way, just stop and rest for a moment," she ran her fingers through his bangs, pushing them out of his vision, "You should have stopped somewhere along the way, I could have waited."

"I couldn't..." he glanced sidelong at her, his voice pained as beads of sweat rolled down his face, "You look beautiful."

Chihiro furrowed her brow, a little flustered that he would think to compliment her while he was in such a state, "Thank you... You've looked better, yourself."

He choked out a laugh, and smiled at her through the long tendrils of hair that had fallen back into his eyes. With the look he gave her, she couldn't hold herself back any longer. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'm glad you're okay," Chihiro whispered into his dark locks, "I was so worried about you."

Her embrace made him breathless, even more so than he already was, and the words he wanted to say wouldn't make their way to his lips. Instead, he brought his arms up to encircle her waist, pulling her in close. They stayed that way, silently and softly swathed in each other until footsteps approached from the bridge.

"Chihiro! I found her!" Rin came stampeding towards them, with Zeniba close behind, "Is he alright?"

"He's fine," Chihiro called to her, reluctantly breaking their embrace.

"You told me he was falling to his death! Don't do that to me girl, I almost had a stroke!" Zeniba chastised.

"You can't have a stroke, what are you talking about?" Rin slowed her pace as she neared the two, "Are you sure you're okay, Haku?"

"I'm fine," he assured her, "Something stopped me before I hit the ground."

"Something stopped you?" Zeniba inquired, curiously.

"It was so strange," Chihiro recounted, "He was falling so fast and then, as soon as he was about to land, he just froze and hovered there for a minute. I thought it was you, but when I looked, we were still alone."

"Huh..." the old woman raised an eyebrow, "Well, lets get you two inside, and put you to bed, son. You've had a long, difficult journey. You need good food and a long rest so you can get back to your old self. Help Chihiro get him to his room, Rin. I'll tell the cooks to fix you up something that will be easy on your stomach."

With that, she turned and started back to the bathhouse. Rin took one side, Chihiro the other, and together they hoisted the river spirit to his feet, guiding him carefully through the building and up to his room.

"Well, I'm glad you're back safe and sound, boss," Rin gave him an affectionate pat on the back, and started out of the room, "I've got some stuff to finish before we close for the night, so I'll leave you two to catch up."

They said their goodnights, and she left, closing the door behind her. Chihiro helped Haku over to the bed, and he sat slowly, the soreness in his ribs making it hard to bend. He began to untie the sash around his robe.

"Here, let me help," Chihiro took the ties from him and undid them gently, pulling the belt free.

His tattered shirt fell loose at his shoulders, and he shrugged it off, dizziness cresting over him in waves. Without a word between them, Chihiro reached out and pulled the sleeves down his arms, gently tugging the fabric away and tossing it in a heap on the floor. She could practically feel his exhaustion permeating the atmosphere.

"Lay back," she muttered, and he conceded without protest.

The girl took a seat beside him, one leg dangling off the side of the bed, the other tucked up under her, and she watched as he slipped in and out of a sleepy haze. Once again, she pushed the hair off of his forehead and with the gestured she noted that he was quite warm. Standing as quietly as possible, she crossed to the bathroom and grabbed a rag to wet in the sink before returning to her post and dabbing his brow with the cool, damp cloth.

From the door came a knock, causing Haku's eyes to spring open for a moment, before dipping shut again promptly. Chihiro went to the door and peeked out. It was Zeniba with a tray of piping hot soup, some crackers, and a pitcher of water. She shushed the woman and accepted the meal mouthing a 'thank you' as she slid the door closed. She waited patiently by his side as he slumbered, mesmerized by the motion of his bare chest rising and falling with the sounds of his breath, occasionally leaning over him to wipe his feverish cheeks and forehead. Something like a half hour passed before Haku showed any sign of wakefulness.

Opening only one eye, he glanced at her, a smile blossoming on his face, "You stayed."

"Of course," she swiped the cloth across his cheeks once more, "You didn't expect me to leave you like this, did you?"

Haku shook his head as he struggled to prop himself up, and Chihiro leaned across him to grab another pillow for his back. She fluffed it forcefully and stuffed it behind him.

"Better?" she asked and he nodded in approval, "I think your soup might have gotten cold."

"Ah, they brought food... Good, I'm starving," he said with a yawn.

She brought the tray and sat it carefully in his lap. Haku splayed his hand over the bowl, his magic causing steam to rise from its surface once more.

"You're getting some strength back already," Chihiro noted, pleased with the display.

Haku grunted, unimpressed, "Huh, that was nothing... but I suppose you're right. Though, it will be several days until I'm back to my full potential."

"You'll get there in no time. I'll help you."

His eyes smiled at her over his spoon as he sipped from it slowly. They sat for a while, in a silence that struck Chihiro as slightly awkward. She had so many questions for him, but, at the same time, didn't want to interrupt the meal he so desperately needed. She wrung her hands in her lap, unsure on how to proceed. Suddenly, she remembered her promise to Rin, and stood abruptly.

"I should go. I told Rin she could stay with me in my room tonight so we could catch up and I'm sure you'll want to go back to sleep soon," she started to leave, but Haku leaned forward and grasped her arm, coaxing her back a bit.

"Wait, aren't you even going to tell me goodnight?" he smiled coyly.

"Uh... of course..." she blushed at his gentle tug, "G-goodnight Haku."

He released her arm and pushed the tray onto the bed beside him, sitting up farther, taking her hand in his, "That's not exactly what I had in mind."

"Huh?" she moved closer, unsure of his meaning, but his intentions were written all over his visage as he stood and closed the gap between them.

"I didn't get to offer you a proper welcome," he spoke softly, his face mere inches from hers, "I'd like to rectify that, if you'll allow me to."

Heat swelled on her cheeks as he edged closer still, taking her silence as consent. He dropped is lips to hers, finding them much more warm and inviting than they had been in the facade of the dream world. She melted into his embrace, the pure, honest passion coursing between them making her weak in the knees. As quickly as it happened, it was over. Haku pulled away from her, bringing a hand up to brush her hair from her eyes.

"Goodnight, Chihiro," his voice came in a husky whisper.

"Goodnight..." she replied, but found that her shaking legs still didn't quite have the will to move, "I... I'll see you in the morning."

"Sleep well."

"Y-you too..." she stammered, a pang of embarrassment hitting her in the stomach.

She turned and made a dash for the door, feeling very much like the school girl she thought she'd outgrown long ago. As she was about to open the door to leave, the dragon spirit called after her one last time.

"That's a beautiful dress, by the way," he complimented her.

"Th-thank you," she gave a slight, decidedly awkward bow and slipped through the doors, peaking her head in again for one last, "Goodnight!"

He raised his hand in a wave and she disappeared into the hallway. She leaned back against the wall for a moment, her head still reeling from the encounter. Was this all real? Did that truly just happen? Chihiro sent out a silent prayer that she wouldn't wake up tomorrow in her bed, in her apartment, with this all having been some tauntingly beautiful dream. Footsteps sounded in the distance, and she could see the silhouette of Rin tromping down the winding hallway. As the older woman neared her, Chihiro could see she was holding a tray piled with a delicious looking variety of foods.

"We don't have any popcorn, but I brought us some food for the occasion," Rin held the plate up to show her, but soon noticed the other girl's disheveled appearance, and eyed her with concern.

"Thanks..." the human girl cleared her throat nervously.

"Are you okay?" she asked suspiciously, "What did he _do_?"

"Huh? Nothing - what?" Chihiro stammered.

"You look... weird... like something happened," Rin narrowed her eyes, studying the other girl, and a sudden realization caused her mouth to drop open, "He kissed you, didn't he?!"

"Shhh! Rin, not so loud, he'll hear you!" she grabbed the other girl by the arm and yanked her towards their room, shoving her inside and slamming the door behind them.

"He did! Hahaha! I thought he'd never have the guts!" the older girl howled in amusement.

"Come on, give me a break!" Chihiro begged, figuring at this point her face would never turn from bright red back to its original shade.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's just so disgustingly adorable," Rin gasped through her laughter, "So, how was it?"

"What? I'm not talking about that!" the younger girl's eyes shot wide, "Besides, isn't that kind of a _girly_ thing for you to be asking?"

"Whatever," the spirit woman rolled her eyes, "I've never got to talk girl stuff before. It's kind of exciting."

"Fine... let me get ready for bed and I'll tell you all about it..." Chihiro acquiesced with a heavy sigh.

Once the two were tucked into bed with their feast, Chihiro kept her word, telling the story of the dream world first, then adding in the juicy details from the encounter on moments before. Rin listened intently, almost choking on a bite of food at one point, focused more on the words than chewing. When she was finished with her tale, Rin was blushing almost as badly as Chihiro.

"Wow... you know, that new body he's got is kind of a dreamboat," Rin wiggled her brows at her young friend suggestively, "And honestly, you're the only person around here that he's ever been warm around. In the past, he's always been cold as ice. You'd think he was a tundra spirit."

Rin snorted a laugh, highly amused with herself, but Chihiro stayed somewhat stoic, a question clinging to her lips, that she wasn't quite sure she wanted to ask.

"Rin... have you ever been in love?"

"Huh..." she thought for a moment, "Well, I thought I was once, but it turned out to be a bunch of hooey."

"What happened?" Chihiro inquired.

Rin's face became clouded and detached, "I don't want to talk about it."

"We're friends aren't we? You can tell me. I bet you've never talked about it before in your life," Chihiro urged, "It's good to get that kind of thing off your chest. Besides, I told you what you wanted to know."

The woman stared down at her hands, regret eclipsing her features, "It was when I first started working at the bathhouse. A customer came in one night... my first real customer ever. I was just a servant then. I brought guests their meals, ran errands for them, that kind of thing. He was meeting with some other spirits on the second floor and I was showing him the way. He was handsome, and quiet, but in the elevator, he told me I looked lovely. Nobody had ever really said anything to me like that... I didn't know how to react, so I just nodded and didn't say anything..."

_"Aren't you even going to say thank you?"_

_"Huh... uh, thanks..."_

_"Have you been working here long?"_

_"Only about a week..."_

_"You don't have to be so shy, I won't bite."_

_"Oh..."_

_"I think we're here..."_

_The doors opened in front of them._

_"Right this way."_

_She led him to the room, but before she could slide back the paper door, he stopped her._

_"I'd like to see you again before I leave."_

_"I... I can't. I'm not supposed to fraternize with customers."_

_"What your bosses don't know won't hurt them."_

_He gave her a mischievous grin and took her hand, placing a sweet kiss to her knuckles._

_"What's your name?"_

_"It's... Rin..."_

_"Rin... meet me at the bridge at dawn?"_

_Was it a command or a request?_

_"A-alright."_

"So, was he there?" Chihiro asked.

"Oh yea... and he was charming, and kind... I hardly slept that day. We stayed out walking and talking. He told me all about his home and his life. He asked me about mine, but there wasn't much to tell, so I mostly let him talk," she let out a weary sigh, "The next night, he came to see me again and we snuck away and hid in a storage room the whole time. We flirted, we kissed, he whispered sweet nothings into my ear... and then he had to leave."

"Was that it?"

"No... he came back several more times over the next two years. Every time, he would steal me away from my duties, at least for a few hours. One day, while we were hiding under the bridge, he made a promise that he would take me away from here, to the city across the water... He told me to meet him at the train stop when the sun rose... but when I went, he wasn't there. I found out later, from some of the other customers, that he had a family of his own and that he was pretty well known for doing the same things with girls in other bathhouses. He'd butter them up, make them feel special, and leave them with empty promises and a broken heart."

"That's terrible," Chihiro placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder, "I'm so sorry, Rin."

"Don't feel sorry for me, hun. Just do yourself a favor... I know how you feel about Haku, and I'm sure he feels the same way... but guard your heart. Don't be so quick to give it away to someone you barely know. Friends first, okay?"

The younger girl nodded, not entirely comprehending the weight of the other's words, "Do you want to get some sleep?"

"Yes, please... thinking about that made me exhausted. But, I do feel better, weirdly enough."

They put away their tray and crawled under the covers, neither of them having trouble dropping off after such an eventful few days.


	21. Chapter 21

**_Chapter 21_**

_"Hello, my old friend..." the elderly man's comically oblong head bobbed as he hobbled towards her._

_"Do I know you?"_

_"Oh, yes... we have known each other for many millennia, but your memories have been lost. Too much time in the human world will have that effect."_

_"I... I don't think I understand."_

_"Benzaiten, I must ask a favor of you."_

_"Huh... but my name isn't-"_

_"My book, it was stolen from me long ago, but now, it is on its way back to me. However... it will need your help to get here."_

_The young girl furrowed her brow in confusion._

_"The sorceress Zeniba has obtained it, but she does not know where to find me... you will."_

_"Who are you?"_

_The old gentleman gave a weary sigh, "Oh, beautiful girl, it is worse than I imagined... My name is Fukurokuju, and there is more to yourself and your life than you could fathom. You will know with time. When you receive the tome, open it and you will understand."_

Chihiro's dream faded into hazy consciousness, and she rolled over, expecting to be greeted by Rin's slumbering form, but she was alone. The older girl must have already gotten up to start her rounds for the day. Just as she stretched and was about to pull herself from the bed, there was a knock at the door. She hopped out of bed, and crossed the room. Haku stood outside, a rare smile lighting his features, looking much better than he had the previous night.

"Good morning," he greeted her, "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thanks," she stepped out of the doorway, nearer to him, "I hope you did."

He nodded and took her hand, placing a light kiss to her knuckles, "I'm glad to have you back here, Chihiro, but we need to talk about something very important."

"What is it?" she inquired.

"Perhaps you should be sitting down for this," he motioned towards the room.

She led him in and they took a seat at the table in the corner. Haku scooted his chair a bit closer to her, clutching both her hands in his, a heaviness plainly visible in his eyes.

"I need to tell you what Fate told me about our future together," he began, but the girl stopped him.

"I told you, I don't want to know. Whatever it is, it can't be worse than not being here at all," a lump of worry formed in her throat at the thought.

"I fear that if I don't tell you, there will be no way to stop it... but if you know, together we may be able to figure out a way to change it," he paused for a moment to let her respond, but she stayed silent, so he continued, "He told me that a year from now, we would be married, and then four years later, we would have a child..."

"Well, that's not a bad thing, I don't understand..."

"He said that because of your human nature, your body would not be able to contain the essence of a spirit child," he let out a heavy sigh, "You'll die before the infant can even take its first breath."

Chihiro's lip instantly began to quiver, her eyes glazed over, and her hands shook like leaves. Haku tightened his grip on them, trying his best to steady her, but he knew that there was no stopping her from breaking down. Her head dropped low as she slumped forward, large teardrops splashing onto her bare knees.

"What can we do?" she choked a whisper through her sobs, "That's not enough time. I knew there was no way I could live as long as you will, but... it's not supposed to end that way."

"It won't, I promise," Haku went to kneeling on the floor in front of her, urging the girl to raise her eyes to his, "Chihiro, I will do everything in my power to make sure you live as long and healthy a life as possible. If that means never having children, that's a sacrifice that I'm willing to make."

"Something tells me it won't be as simple as avoiding the situation," she wiped the tears from her cheeks with the hem of her night shirt.

He took a deep breath, pushing himself up to stand, "You're probably right... but we've got the next four years to to form some kind of plan. Until then, at least for the moment, lets try not to dwell on it too much."

Chihiro stood as well, pushing the hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ears, "You're right. Four years is longer than it seems. I just got back here, I'm not ready to face my mortality just yet... I'd rather see what you've been doing for the past few years in your new position, boss."

She forced a grin and he returned it half-heartedly, "Alright, I'll wait outside while you get ready."

He leaned into her, caressing her cheek lightly and grazing her lips with his. Every time he kissed her, it sent a tingling sensation through her entire being. He wasn't the first boy she'd kissed, but he was the first one that she had true, honest feelings for. He was the first one she'd really wanted to share such intimate moments with, and they were better than she could have ever imagined. He left her to privacy, so she dressed quickly, throwing on the handmade dress she'd worn the day before, and whipped her hair into a high ponytail before joining him outside to start the day.

* * *

><p>"It will be fabulous! Can't you imagine it?" Zeniba glided through the ballroom as if the dancing had already begun, "Right here, we'll group the tables together like so, and against the wall over there will be a grand buffet! The musicians will set up in the opposite corner, we'll have some couches brought in for more seating over on that wall. Oh, I can hardly wait! Have you tried on your dress yet?"<p>

Rin grumbled, crossing her arms defensively, "No... not exactly..."

The old woman spun on her heals, sending a warning glare in the girl's direction, "I've told you five times today to visit the seamstress. You march yourself up there right now and I don't want to see you again until you're covered head to toe in pink lace!"

"Why does it have to be pink?!" the woman whined, stamping the ground with one foot in a childish gesture of defiance.

"Because you're giving me such a hard time about it," Zeniba shot back, "Now, go, or I'll make you wear high heels, too!"

"Fine!" Rin grunted, clenching her fists at her sides, then turned and stomped angrily out of the room.

As she exited in a huff, Chihiro and Haku entered, the human girl giving her friend a wave to greet her.

"Hey, are you okay?" the younger girl asked, with concern.

"Not right now... I've got a tent to immerse myself in," Rin continued on without pause, huffing and puffing and cursing under her breath as she went.

"A tent? What's she talking about?" Haku looked utterly bewildered.

"I'm making her wear a gown to the ball," Zeniba's eyes light up with amusement, "Which reminds me, Chihiro, I'll need you to visit the seamstress as soon as she's finished with Rin. I've got something special in mind for you."

"Granny, this place is amazing," Chihiro twirled around, taking in the entirety of the massive space, "I've never seen this room of the bathhouse."

"My sister let it go to ruin. You should have seen it before, stored with junk from top to bottom. They've just about finished clearing it out and will be setting up the tables and such tonight," the sorceress clapped her hands together with glee, "Oh, I haven't been to a dance since I was a young girl. It brings back such fond memories."

"When will we be having this ball?" Haku inquired.

"Tomorrow night, if everything goes as planned," she started off towards some Frogs who were hefting large circular tables into the room, "Right over here with those. Space them out, but not too much. We want an intimate setting, but also plenty of room to move about. Chihiro, why don't you go check on Rin, make sure she made it to the seamstress. I don't want her dawdling any longer, there' too much left to prepare. They should be upstairs in the office. And try on your dress while you're there."

"Yes, ma'am," Chihiro bowed and swiftly took off out of the room.

Haku had leaned in, meaning to give her a parting kiss, but she hadn't noticed. His face clouded with uncertainty, and the look wasn't lost on Zeniba.

"She's not used to being loved so deeply," the old witch crossed over to him and laid a comforting hand on his forearm, "Give her time, she's still young."

"I know," he glanced forlornly in the direction the girl had left, "But the thought of losing her again plagues me. I told her not to dwell on it just yet, but it seems I'm having trouble following my own advice."

"I assume Fate revealed your future to you," she speculated, "In which case, you must remember dear... no one's destiny is sealed. You can, in fact, alter your fate, no matter what that old stick in the mud says."

Haku nodded in agreement, but his face still held its dreary cast, "There's something special about her, Granny. I can't put my finger on it, but she's not like any other human I've ever come in contact with. She has a power hidden deep inside her. I think that's why we're bonded as we are, and I think it has something to do with how she's saved me so many times. First, it was her love pulling me free of your curse, then, releasing me from the dream world... and the fall... I'm sure it was her that stopped me before I hit the ground. I just can't figure out how she did it."

Zeniba pursed her lips in contemplation, "Yes, I think you're right, son. I can feel it too."

"It's as if I've know her far longer than I first assumed," he thought back to that fateful day of Chihiro's near drowning, "I felt it before, that strange energy she holds, but I dismissed it then. Now that she's here, and I've spent more time with her, there's no denying it. I just don't understand what 'it' is yet."

"Something tells me we'll find out soon enough..."

* * *

><p><em>Hi again, everyone! Sorry for the sort of short chapter, but I just wanted to get something up since I've been slacking these past few days. I can hardly believe it, but I've almost passed 2,000 views on this story! That is so crazy to me, since it has been up for less than a month. I'm excited to have finally reached the second act of this story and so glad to have so many of you along for the ride! I hope you continue to enjoy reading as much as I am enjoying writing. Thank you all so much, once again, for your lovely reviews! Much love!<em>


	22. Chapter 22

_**Chapter 22**_

"You've got to be kidding me," Rin sneered in disgust at the billowing, pastel atrocity she had finally managed to stuff herself into.

"I think it looks nice," Chihiro tried to feign approval, but the attempt was entirely unconvincing.

"I look like a buffoon," she pushed down on the skirts, trying hard to deflate them, if only just a bit, "Why is she doing this to me? What did I do to deserve this torture? I can hardly breathe in this thing."

The younger girl stifled a giggle, "Maybe it will fit better once she lets it out a little."

"Hey, it's fine, I don't need it let out," a twinge of self-consciousness hit her in the gut, worrying internally that her more laid back job had in fact caused her to put on a few unwanted pounds, "The fabric is just a little stiff, I'm sure it'll soften up after I wear it for a little while."

Rin was infinitely more feminine than she would ever wholly admit to, Chihiro had realized as she watched her friend fidget and fumble awkwardly with the silky cloth. She really did look nice, but also somewhat juvenile in the cotton candy pink getup. She wondered why Granny had chosen such a puffy design and light color, knowing full well that Rin would rather die than be seen in such an abomination. What was the sorceress trying to prove, exactly?

"Alright. That's it. It's your turn. I've got to get this off of me before it swallows me alive. I'm convinced it has a mind of its own," the woman hopped down from the stool, less than gracefully, squirreling her arms around her back in a desperate struggle to free herself.

Chihiro couldn't hold her laughter any longer, and her convulsive giggles earned her a death glare from Rin. The younger girl took in big, gasping breaths, trying to calm herself as she got up to assist in the removal of the ball gown. The seamstress, who had been watching silently and demurely the whole time, was now discreetly giggling behind her hands.

"What are _you_ laughing at?" Rin glowered down at the seated woman, who quickly wiped the smile from her face and planted her hands firmly in her lap.

When they were done plying the fabric from the spirit girl's skin, she tossed the dress to the corner of the room in a heap. The seamstress scuttled over, retrieving it and clutching it protectively to her bosom. She draped it across the table she'd been working at all day and went to the clothing rack she had set up in the corner to fetch the dress she'd fashioned for Chihiro. Gently, she offered the dress to the young human, bowing deeply and returning to her seat.

The dress felt satiny smooth against Chihiro's arms and she found herself eager to slip into it. The seamstress's skills proved massively superior to her own, the delicate stitching and beading obviously hand-sewn with great care. It was a brilliant ruby color that tickled at Chihiro's memory, though she couldn't quite place where she'd seen it before.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Try it on," Rin urged, obviously as anxious to see its full splendor as Chihiro was.

She disappeared behind the dressing screen and disrobed hastily. As she stepped into the gown, she eased it upward meticulously, terrified that at any second the sound of a rip or pop would ring through the air. She fastened the long row of buttons that lined the side of the dress, thankful that they weren't placed in the back as Rin's had been. She was surprised to find it fit perfectly, and with a sigh, she stepped out from behind the screen. When she appeared in view of the other two women, their jaws dropped simultaneously and the silent seamstress brought her hand up to cover her gapping mouth.

"Is it that bad?" apprehension clouded Chihiro's eyes.

"N-no... it's... Chihiro, you look amazing," Rin managed through her awe.

The silent seamstress rose from her seat once more and shuffled over to Chihiro, urging her towards the full length mirror that had been brought in for the occasion. When the girl stepped in front of the looking glass, she was taken aback, perhaps more so than the others. The corset top fit snugly to her abdomen, accentuating the curve of her hips and bust. The skirt billowed out just slightly, plunging to the floor in sharp points, a hint of deep black tulle peaking out from the folds of crimson. The beading and jewels that adorned the gown sparked like embers when the light caught them. They were sewn in clusters on the bodice and cascaded down the skirt like drops of fiery rain.

"Here, your shoes and mask," Rin handed the accessories over, "Lets see it all together."

"A mask?" Chihiro asked.

"Yea, Zeniba thought it would be fun to have a _masquerade_ ball," the spirit woman rolled her eyes for the millionth time that week.

She took the things from her friend and dropped the shoes to the ground, slipping her feet into them. When she saw her bejeweled toes peaking from under the skirts, she had another flash of recollection. Her dream from the night that she'd received Haku's letter, she suddenly recalled, that's where she'd seen this vision before. She turned the mask over in her hand, recognizing it as well.

"Why would she dress me like a devil?" Chihiro questioned with a look of confusion.

"Probably to be funny, since you're such a good girl at heart," Rin mused, casting a revolted glare at the pink fluff ball of a dress behind her, "She thinks she's got such a great sense of humor, I've noticed..."

The younger girl chuckled, but could not tear her eyes from the sight of herself in the mirror, "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever worn. I feel like I'm going to mess it up any second."

"You better not, I hear the quiet ones are the most deadly," Rin cocked her head toward the seamstress, "so she'll probably rip you to shreds if you so much as spill a single drop of wine on that thing"

The silent woman shook her head rapidly, denying the allegation, but Chihiro wasn't so sure her friend was wrong. Finally, she was able to break herself away and stepped back behind the screen to change. When she came back, she brought the dress to the seamstress and offered it to her with as much care as she'd received it.

"Thank you so much," Chihiro bowed deeply, "It's beautiful. You did an amazing job."

"As did you," the seamstress spoke for the first time, much to the surprise of the other girls.

"W-what?" the human girl looked bewildered.

"Your dress, you made it, did you not?"

"Oh, yes... thank you," she bowed again, flattered by the talented woman's compliment, and the gesture was returned with a radiant smile.

"Alright, lets get out of here," Rin pulled at Chihiro's arm, dragging her towards the door, "That dress is staring at me and if I look at it for one more second I'm going to throw it in the fire."

Chihiro laughed out loud as she was yanked out the door and down the hallway towards the elevator. The girls made their way back to where they'd left Zeniba in the ballroom. She was standing in the very middle of the space, boisterously directing the Frogs as they set and arranged and rearranged at her behest.

"No, no! Two inches to the _left_, _my_ left!" she commanded, "That doesn't go over there, did you even listen to my instructions?"

"Hi, Granny," Chihiro greeted her, "How's it going?"

The old woman sighed, rubbing her temples with her fingertips, "It would be going much better if anyone around here could follow directions the way they were originally given. I'm starting to understand why my sister was such an iron fist around here."

"Don't let it get to you, they'll catch on soon enough," Rin assured her, "It's looking pretty amazing in here, I have to admit."

"Please tell me you've tried your dresses on, both of you."

"Yes, ma'am," Chihiro confirmed, "They're both gorgeous. Thank you for all of this."

"Well, Chihiro's is gorgeous," Rin huffed, "I still don't understand why you're forcing me to parade around in a giant pink bonbon."

Zeniba's frustration dissolved into gleeful cackles, "That's not your real dress, you hard headed child!"

"What?!" the spirit woman growled, "You made me try on that idiotic nightmare for nothing?!"

"No, I made you try it on to teach you a lesson," the old woman quelled her laughter for a moment, "You'll see your real dress on the night of the ball."

"What kind of lesson was that supposed to teach me?" Rin threw her hands in the air, exasperatedly.

"The lesson is not to mess to your old Granny when she tells you to do something!" Zeniba said pointedly, "Now, lets get to work, or we'll never get this place in shape before tomorrow night!"

* * *

><p>Haku didn't see Chihiro again until after closing time. The customers and employees had kept him on his toes, glad to have him back to work, seeing as how he was much more pleasant to work with than Rin could sometimes be. Every time he thought he'd get a break to go check in on the girl, someone else would come out of the woodwork with a question or concern. By the time he was headed to his room for the night, he was exhausted, his strength still not quite what it had been before his excursion, and he hardly noticed when Chihiro stepped up beside him as he was waiting for the elevator.<p>

"You look tired," she said, startling him a bit with her sudden presence.

"Chihiro! I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to see you again today, I've been so busy with the customers..." he was visibly flustered, but Chihiro took his hand in hers to ease his disquiet.

"It's alright," she assured him, "I spent most of the day with Rin. It's been fun catching up with her."

"She can be quite amusing, it's true," Haku let his stoic face dissolve into a warm grin, and they stepped into the open lift together, "I just hope we can find the time to catch up like that, but with all my responsibilities around here, I fear we'll find it quite difficult."

"Doesn't Rin help you with those things?" she asked.

"Well, she tries, but as you well know, she has a tendency to be somewhat hot-headed," he pointed out.

"Yea, I've noticed," Chihiro smirked knowingly.

"The customers don't like coming to her as much," he sighed, "I've caught a lot of grief from them having to deal with her for the past week."

"I'm sorry. I'll see what I can do about getting her to soften up a bit," the girl suggested, as the door of the lift opened to the top floor.

"I appreciate that," he breathed his relief at her offer, "Would you like to join me in my room for a while? I've left the paperwork for tonight to Yubaba, so my job is done for the day."

She nodded, following him to his door and entering behind him. He motioned for her to take a seat on the plush velvet couch that sat against one wall, as he crossed to a table that held a tea try. Chihiro watched in amazement as a tea bag materialized in his hand, and the kettle began to let off steam from its spout. He dropped in the bag and closed the lid, waving his hand over it, the distinct aroma of warm jasmine filling the air.

"Would you like a cup?" he offered.

"Yes, please. It smells wonderful."

He poured them both a cup, then joined her on the couch. She took hers and brought it to her nose, breathing in the pleasant scent deeply, feeling a wave of calm descend over her. She relaxed back into the cushion, sipping slowly, thinking back on the previous day. A memory of that morning's dream wafted through her mind, then, and she made a mental note to speak with Zeniba as soon as possible when she woke the next day, but for now she decided it might be helpful to ask Haku about it.

"Do you know someone named Fukurokuju?" she began.

He thought for a moment, "It sounds familiar, but I can't place it. Why do you ask?"

"He was in my dreams this morning, and he mentioned Granny. He said she had some kind of book that belonged to him, and she didn't know where he was but he said that I would. But, I'm sure I've never seen him, or even heard that name before, in my life."

"Did he say anything else?"

"Yes... he said that there was more to me and my life than I knew, and that because of my time in the human world, my memories were lost... what do you think he meant?"

"I'm not sure... Maybe Zeniba will be able to shed some light on it."

"There's something else... He called me Ben... Benza... I can't remember..."

"Benzaiten?" Haku offered, not sure where he'd pulled the name from.

"Yes, that was it. How did you know?"

"I... I don't know, it just came to me," his expression was one of deep confusion, but inside he felt a strong tug of recognition, "These names, I know them... but from where?"

Chihiro shrugged, unsure how to respond, "I'll ask Granny tomorrow. I would have mentioned it today, but it just came back to me."

"That's probably best. I'll have her meet us in the office first thing before we open," with that, they fell into silence.

They sat that way for a long while, sipping their drinks, not entirely sure where to go from there. Chihiro scanned the room, taking in the beautiful tapestries that hung on the walls, and the gilded furniture that was obviously selected with great care. He had good taste, it was apparent, the room even more well decorated than her own. She was wondering if he'd done it himself, when her gaze drifted to him, catching his eyes peering at her over the rim of his cup. His face lit up with a mischievous smile.

"What?" she wrinkled her nose cutely, and he sat his cup on the end table, scooting closer to her.

He took her free hand and ran his thumb lightly across the top of her fingers, "I remember the exact moment I knew I had fallen for you."

A blush rose quickly to her cheeks, and the only word she could manage was a whispered, "Oh?"

He gave a small nod and continued, "The day you turned eighteen, you came here that night, do you remember? I sat there as you told me all about the party your parents had thrown for you, that no one came to... you told me about graduating and applying to universities... and you told me you were moving to a new place."

"The apartments that they built over your river. You heard all of that?"

"I heard and saw you almost every time you came to visit. I don't know why I could, but I would sit with you for hours some nights," he revealed.

"So... you heard _everything_? All my temper tantrums too?" she quizzed, a faint hint of amusement, mixed with embarrassment, marking her features.

"All of it... and every time you visited I felt all the more close to you," he went on, "But, that night... when you told me where you were moving and why, something changed. I realized, if I ever was able to bring you back here, it would be for more than just to have my friend by my side again. It would be so that I could finally be with the woman I love."

Chihiro's breath caught in her throat. Love had been something she'd felt for the dragon spirit for many years, and when she'd voiced the sentiment not so long ago, she thought her words had been lost on the wind. Now, however, she knew that might not be the case.

"Well..." she started, her tone filled with uncertainty, "If you heard everything... did you hear me when I told you..."

"I did," he stopped her short, bringing a hand up to cup her cheek, "That's why I brought it up... I want you to know, Chihiro... I love you, too."

* * *

><p><em>D'aww, so sweet! But, what could this dream mean for Chihiro and Haku? Perhaps the young woman will find herself on a journey of her own soon? You'll just have to stick around and find out! Btw, you guys, I passed 2,000 views and then some with that last chapter! I can't believe it, seriously. Thank you all so much, each and every one of you that's stuck with my story so far, and a special thanks to the reviewers. You're all so wonderful, I just can't express it enough. Much love, until next time!<em>


	23. Chapter 23

_**Chapter 23**_

Chihiro and Haku had stayed up for quite a while after the dragon's admission, trying to catch up without worry of interruption. His confession had helped tremendously in easing the tension between them, and they found conversation came much more readily now that they were on the same page with their feelings for one another. This wasn't just a childish crush, or something silly and unrequited. The feelings were there, they were real on both sides, and Chihiro had never been happier in her life than she was the moment those words of his reached her ears.

When they parted, he had kissed her, but this one had burned with unparalleled passion, unlike any before it. Somehow, her shaking limbs had managed to carry her back to her room, where she found Rin had already passed out, sprawling across the covers. Nudging the other girl out of the way, she curled up under the comforter and quickly slipped into the dream world.

_"There you are, my dear girl."_

_"Fukurokuju?"_

_"Indeed. I have seen that you did not speak with the sorceress as I asked."_

_"I... It slipped my mind, but I plan to when I wake up."_

_"Things are more dire than I first thought. My brother Jurōjin, my twin, he is missing. He was the only one of us that I was still in contact with, but I have not been able to reach him in several days. The tome can locate him. Before you return it to me, I need you to use it to find him and ensure he is safe from harm. Will you do that for me, Benzaiten?"_

_"I'll try my best... but, why do you keep calling me by that name?"_

_"All will reveal itself in due time. However, I will assure you that Fate is not always correct in his assertions of the future. There are things that, even in all of his infinite wisdom, he is not privy to."_

_"Thank you. That makes me feel better."_

_"One more thing, before I go... You must complete this task that I've set before you on your own."_

_"But... why? Can't one of my friends go with me?" _

_"No, dear girl, a journey of self-discovery is one that you must face alone."_

_"I'm sorry, I don't understand."_

_"You will, dear girl... in time."_

_The old spirit faded away, as Chihiro drifted from one dream, into the next..._

_She was standing on the deck of a massive ship, the sounds of celebration permeating the air. The waters below twinkled with the reflections of a million brilliant stars. Her long, satiny robes rustled in the wind. Footsteps sounded behind her, and she turned to see who was approaching._

_"My lady," came Haku's voice, "I wanted to extend my thanks for inviting me to join you tonight."_

_She spoke, but not of her own volition, and her voice was not her own, "I'm pleased you could attend. Would you care to join me for a dance?"_

_"It would be an honor," his face reddened when she extended her hand for his._

_His form was that of the boy she'd first met so many years ago, and she, herself, stood at least a head taller than he. She pulled him forward, and they began to sway to the rhythm of the slow, steady music. His blush deepened and she could tell he was embarrassed to meet her gaze._

_"Don't be so shy, my boy," she chuckled, "I've always been quite fond of you, you know. Teachers aren't supposed to say this, but you have been, by far, my favorite student."_

_"Th-thank you, mistress," he stammered, "You have been a fair and kind tutor."_

_"Now you're just blowing smoke," her light chuckle became a hearty laugh, "I have some news, though, that may put a damper on the evening."_

_"What is it, sensei?"_

_"After the festivities tonight, I'm leaving for a while," she explained, "I have grown weary of this word... My nature is not to linger in one place for long, I must sate my wanderlust, and though I regret leaving you to your own devices, I know you will understand."_

_He hung his head, sadness clouding his eyes, "I do... but, where will you go?"_

_"To the human world."_

_The boy gasped, "But, that's forbidden!"_

_"Indeed it is, but have I ever been one to worry about the rules," she smirked, and he couldn't help but smile knowingly._

_"Forgive me, for being so curt, but... I will miss you a great deal, sensei."_

_"And I, you, Kohaku. But you mustn't give up on your studies. You have the potential for great things, if you embrace it," a horn trumpeted in the distance, and she broke away from him, "That's the call to disembark, I must be on my way. I doubt I will see you again before I take my leave."_

_"But... mistress, I..."_

_"Do not fret, my dearest boy," she reached out to stroke his cheek, "You will see me again someday."_

_"Promise?" he whispered._

_"I promise..."_

* * *

><p>As Chihiro readied herself for the night ahead, she thought back on her strange dreams. The one in which the old spirit had revisited her was strange enough, but it was the other that was causing her the most unease. Had she somehow tapped into Haku's memories, or was there something more to it than that? It had seemed so very real, but she obviously hadn't been herself. Seeing through the eyes of a stranger, and feeling so natural in a body that wasn't hers, had shaken her down to her core. When she met with Haku and Zeniba in the office a little while later, he could tell she wasn't entirely herself.<p>

"Are you alright?" he asked with concern.

"I had another dream... well, two actually."

"With the same man?"

"The first one was, but the second... it was different," she furrowed her brow thoughtfully, "I don't think they had anything to do with each other, but I'm not sure."

"Tell me about them," he urged.

"Where's Granny?"

"She's with Yubaba, reading a story to Boh. They seem to be getting along a bit better now," he mentioned, before taking off towards the door, "I'll go get her."

A minute later, the two emerged from the next room, and Zeniba approached Chihiro with curiosity, "Haku tells me you've dreamt of Master Fuku."

Chihiro nodded, "Twice now, since last night. He said you had a book that belongs to him, and asked me to use it to find his brother, who may be in trouble, and then return it to him."

"His tome? But, how does he expect you to find him to return it? I've been searching for him for centuries, and I've not unearthed a single trace of him!"

"He seems to think that if I open the book, something will reveal itself to me," she explained.

"So, Jurōjin is missing?" Zeniba inquired.

"Yes, and the old spirit kept calling me Benzaiten, but he wouldn't say why."

"He called you _what_?" the sorceress balked, "You can't be serious. Why in the world would he call you that? Unless..."

"Unless?" Haku chimed in, his curiosity peeked at her last word.

"Hmm... I think I understand now. Yes, it's all becoming clear," the woman clicked her tongue, "Here, the tome you speak of."

With a snap of her fingers, the book appeared in the air and floated towards Chihiro, landing in her outstretched palms. When it touched her hands, it began to shake, the pages rustling wildly as the cover shot open and the pages flipped themselves rapidly. Suddenly, the volume halted, going totally still, stopping on pages covered top to bottom in a scribble of language that Chihiro didn't immediately recognize.

"I think it's trying to tell you something, dear," Zeniba surmised, crossing to the girl to look over the pages herself, "I've never seen it act that way before."

The young girl scanned the page, her mind a blur, not fully comprehending the words and visions that were swirling through her brain. How could she be understanding this foreign script, when just a moment ago it had been gibberish? Where were these places she was picturing in flashes like photographs in the back of her vision? Why did she feel her inner self tugging at her, urging her forcefully to leave... to go and find these people and places that seemed so bizarrely, yet comfortingly, familiar?

"He was right..." she breathed, "I know where to find them. I know what I have to do."

"I'm going with you," Haku insisted.

"No, you can't," Chihiro closed the book and stepped close to him, "I understand why you want to, but Fukurokuju told me I have to do this on my own, and now that I've seen this book, I know he's right."

"But... Chihiro, what if you get hurt? I couldn't bear to lose you again," he reached to push a lock of hair from her eyes.

"You won't," she brought a hand up to cup his face, "I'll be careful. I can't delay this though. I need to leave as soon as possible."

"What about the ball?" Zeniba questioned, "Couldn't you stay just long enough to attend. You can leave first thing tomorrow."

"I'm sorry, Granny, but I can't," her face fell, knowing she was greatly disappointing the old woman, "You'll have to have it without me."

"Nonsense, the whole point was to celebrate your return. We'll just have to call it off until you come back," she insisted.

"You don't have to do that," Chihiro shook her head.

"It's no problem, everyone will understand," she assured, "Now, lets get you prepared for your journey. I have a feeling it's going to be a long one."

The human girl let out a deep sigh and turned her gaze back to the dragon spirit, "Maybe one of these days we'll get a chance to just relax."

He smiled warmly, "Could we be so lucky?"

"Anything can happen," she said with a chuckle, as they followed Zeniba from the room to begin preparations.

When the necessary provisions were gathered, Chihiro met with her friends in front of the bathhouse before heading out. Rin, Zeniba, Boh, Yu-bird, Haku, and even Yubaba had all come to wave her off.

"You've only come to play with me once since you've been here," Boh whined, "I hope you make it back okay, and when you did, you better come and play a lot more often."

"I will, I promise," she gave the butterball a big hug.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Rin grinned cheekily.

"So, nothing off limits then?" Chihiro shot back, with an equally sly smile.

"Exactly!" the woman wrapped the girl up in her arms, "You know, you're like a little sister to me, right? I love you."

Chihiro felt warm moisture well up in her eyes, but tried her best to push it away, "I love you too, sis."

"You have to be the bravest human I've ever met, I'll give you that," Yubaba noted gruffly, "I'm glad to have met you."

"Granny, don't talk like that. This isn't goodbye."

"_I'm_ Granny! Can't you tell us apart yet?" Zeniba chastised.

"You're both my grannies," she swept the twins up in an embrace, "And I love you both very much!"

"We love you too, dear," they said in unison, and it was probably the only thing they'd agreed on in several millennia.

"Chihiro..." Haku approached her and she turned to him, his forlorn expression cutting through her like a dagger, "Please, take care of yourself. If you find you're in danger, don't take any chances, just run."

"When have I ever been the kind of person to run from things?" she cocked her brow teasingly.

His face stayed stoic, "Chihiro... _please_."

She let out a apprehensive breath, stepping closer to him, "I'll do everything in my power to return safely, that I can promise."

"Take this," he reached to his neck and pulled off a necklace adorned with an antique jade charm, "Two ancient spirits that visited me on my journey... well, they saved me, actually... and they gave me this. They said it would protect me from harm. I never had to use it, but I have a feeling it will be of use to you."

He encircled her neck, fastening the string for her, and as he did she slipped her arms around his waist, pulling him close. Suddenly, Haku noticed that they were alone. Everyone had departed back to the bathhouse, no doubt to give the two a moment to themselves. She laid her head on his shoulder, nuzzling her face into his neck. He stroked her hair and her back, breathing in her scent deeply, tattooing the sensations into his mind, in case there worst were to happen. She pulled back slightly to peer into his eyes.

"I love you, Haku."

He ran a thumb lightly over her cheekbone, "I love you too, Chihiro."

"I'll see you again, soon," she leaned in and placed a gentle kiss to his lips.

Returning the gesture with passion, he clung to her desperately, full of fear and anxiety at the thought that this would be the last time for a long while that they would have a moment like this. She broke their embrace quickly, as the tears were getting harder and harder to keep at bay, and she wanted to stay strong for him, give him no indication of just how terrified she really was. Without another word, she turned and started off, Haku watching after her as she left, sending up a silent prayer that she would return to him swiftly, and in one piece.

* * *

><p><em>Hey guys! Sorry about the delay on this chapter! Dragon Age: Inquisition has taken over my life for the past few days, and I regret nothing... except for making you guys wait. I'll try to be a little more diligent from now on, because I don't want to set this story aside just for everyone to forget about it. We've come to far! We must finish what we started, amiright?! Anyway, very sorry once again! Hope you guys aren't too upset with the wait, it's about to get pretty interesting again, I think! Thanks for being patient, m'dears! Much love!<em>


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